


Candles

by Sumthinelse



Series: Shelter [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BDSM, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Bondage, Depression, Dubious Consent, F/M, Gangbang, Group Sex, M/M, Many kinks mentioned, Multi, Non-Consensual Bondage, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oral Sex, Spitroasting, Suicidal Thoughts, survivor's guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:35:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24807079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumthinelse/pseuds/Sumthinelse
Summary: I've only lightly touched on BDSM in the past, and I'm far from knowledgeable on the subjects. There will be violence, discussions of violence, consensual and non-consensual. There will be additional warnings before chapters where something new happens. There will be multiple pairings mentioned, and since part of this takes place in a BDSM sex club, most will be casual encounters with OCs. OCs are not prominently featured.**Do not read if scenes of poorly, or under-negotiated BDSM bother you
Relationships: Chris Argent/Isaac Lahey, Chris Argent/Peter Hale, Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Chris Argent/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Isaac Lahey, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Deucalion/Isaac Lahey
Series: Shelter [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1654153
Comments: 21
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **TW- do not read if scenes of dubious consent or of non-consensual sex aren't what you want. Please tell me if you think I've missed a warning.
> 
> **Do not take the actions of the characters depicted here as recommendations for how to behave. Do not try to substitute self-punishment for counseling to deal with depression.

The flight was about ninety minutes to LAX, and Isaac was waiting with his suitcase by the terminal for the car from is hotel. He’d picked one of the nicer hotels, so he could have a better overall experience. This was going to be _his_ trip, where he did things he wanted, in his own time, without needing to wait on, or hurry up for anyone else. He felt good. He was wearing unfussy and tasteful, but expensive clothes that had been altered, just a little, by Lydia’s tailor. He felt confident when he got in the dark sedan that had the logo of the Four Seasons on it.

When the car pulled up out front, Isaac took out a fifty. George, the driver, tried to refuse it, but Lydia had coached him on this.

“It’s such a small token, George, I insist.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lahey.” He waited for George to open the door for him, and stepped out with his sunglasses back in place and shook the man’s hand as he took his suitcase.

“Good meeting you, George. I’ll see you around.” Isaac went inside the cool, fresh lobby of the Four Seasons and up to the front desk. He checked in and handed off his bag to the bellman, a short, slender young man with a sweet face and a smile he pretended not to notice.

“Charles will bring your things up.”

“Thank you, McKenna,” he said to the young woman behind the counter.

“I can make some recommendations if you let me know what you’d like to do while you’re here. Are you here on business or pleasure?”

“Strictly pleasure.” Isaac was pleased that the hotel had sent up a complimentary split of champagne that was waiting in his suite. He unpacked and sent a few texts, and then stood on the balcony for a few minutes to enjoy the view. He looked at the room service menu and ordered a light meal, he didn’t want to be stuffed when he went out in a few hours. He booted up his laptop while he waited for his meal, and tried not to think of himself as a kid putting on his dad’s boots and clomping around the house. His phone rang with a video call, and he picked it up. “I just got in,” he said with a grin.

“How’s the view?” Peter asked. The Alpha was sitting in his apartment and made the appropriate noises of appreciation when Isaac gave him a tour of the suite and showed off the view. “If you’re not thirsty, toss the ice for now, and ask them to refresh the ice bucket when you get turn-down service.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“If you meet someone and bring them back to your room, you’ll have chilled champagne waiting for you.”

“I’m not bringing anyone back here,” he said with a sigh. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep beside a stranger.”

“I wasn’t suggesting sleep.”

“Right.”

Isaac was a little nervous until Brian texted him. He’d gone through the vetting process and his membership had been approved, which had prompted his trip this weekend. He wouldn’t be staying at the Four Seasons each time he went down, but he wanted his first trip to be memorable.

_Brian-Come to my place at ten._

_To Brian- Okay. What should I bring?_

_Brian-ID enough cash to get you home. You’ll leave your phone at the door, so only bring it if you need it._

_To Brian- Okay. See you at ten._

Isaac kept his clothing simple and went with basic black t-shirt and pants. When he arrived at Brian’s building he buzzed the apartment number and was let in.

“Good to meet you, Isaac.” Brian was in his thirties with short hair and a clean-shaven face. He looked about as nondescript and forgettable as a person could be. Isaac would’ve had a tough time describing him since everything about him was average. As they talked in the kitchen, the Werewolf felt a tug towards the man. He was charismatic in his carriage, and completely comfortable in his skin. His brown eyes were keen and curious, but not challenging.

“I’m a little nervous.”

“Most people are. We can go later if you’re not comfortable yet.”

“Not that nervous.”

“Let’s talk about it. Are you afraid of something happening that you don’t want?” Isaac hesitated. “You probably won’t surprise me.”

“I’m partly nervous that I’ll be ignored, and partly nervous that…” he looked down at his shoes. “I’m nervous that I’ll meet someone I don’t find attractive who will follow me around who won’t take a hint.”

“Don’t hint.” Brian raised his eyebrows. “There will always be the occasional person who thinks that because you’re their type, they must be your type and is persistent. You’ll have a collar on showing you’re new and observing. People will leave you alone until you take it off. You’ve handled yourself well at the other clubs according to Trish.” 

“I wish I could be a fly on the wall till I can watch everyone and see who they really are.” Isaac surprised himself by his last comment. “So, I won’t be tricked into trusting the wrong person.”

“What don’t you want people to know?” Brian asked, but quickly added, “and you don’t have to say it to me, just think about it.”

“I’m an Omega.” The confession came out before he realized he was thinking about it. He saw Brian blink in surprise, and felt pretty good about surprising the guy who never seemed to be surprised by what Isaac said.

“Are you afraid of people finding out?”

“Maybe. I’m also afraid that I’ll be interested in someone, and if they’re not interested in me, I’ll tell them to try and keep their attention.”

“Why did you tell me you’re an Omega?” Brian leaned back in his chair. “I’m glad you did, and I won’t tell anyone unless it’s a matter of safety; that goes with anything personal, but why did you want me to know?”

“I trust you, but I think if I tell you that I might be doing it for the wrong reasons, it can help me to check myself.”

“That shows some good self-awareness, Isaac.”

“One of my good friends studied clinical social work, she and I have been talking through stuff.”

“One of my friends is an LCSW, he’s really good at reading people. In fact, he’s steered a few of his clients in my direction if they need help.”

“I guess I never thought about this as therapeutic.”

“It’s not therapeutic for everyone, but we’re all works in progress.”

“My friend says that a lot.”

“It’s a good, mindful phrase.”

Isaac kept Peter and Brian’s ‘Mindful’ phrase in his head as he walked through the club. He wore his harness over his shirt, but didn’t have the black eye makeup on that he’d used as a kind of mask in San Francisco. He hadn’t been half this nervous going to the other clubs, not even when he was tracking a murderer.

“Feeling okay?”

“Yeah,” Isaac said.

Brian excused himself after giving Isaac a tour, promising that he’d be close. He pressed a hand on the back of the Omega’s neck, briefly.

“I want you to walk around and look in at least three rooms, for a minimum of five seconds each before you look for me.”

“Okay.” Brian wasn’t there as Isaac’s Dom, and wanted Isaac to trust that people would respect his collar, but having an order, or a task, made him feel better. He went down the hallway across from the entrance to the fetish and semi-private rooms, and saw that it was more relaxed than in San Francisco. He let his senses open up, and heard little snippets of conversations. Some were fairly mundane, just people catching up with each other, but some were a little more intense.

“I told you not to drool on me. Now look what you’ve done.”

“You’ve been a very bad boy. Do you know what Mistress does to bad boys?”

“You’re not allowed to come until I say so.”

No one was shouting, and no one raised their voices. It was inconsiderate in a small area, but when there were events and demonstrations, and the larger spaces opened up, he was told, it could get rowdy. He could feel the bass thrumming up through the floor under his feet. He smelled a lot of sexual arousal, but also a few hints of joy, sadness, disappointment, and even despair. The weekends were busier, but the Tuesday through Thursday nights were reserved for more overt sex play. This was why Isaac had been carefully vetted, and had needed to meet with several members, and make several visits to some of the tamer clubs before coming here. The Omega noticed that the people wearing clothing were less costumed than on more BDSM-focused clubs and events. He eventually relaxed when he realized no one was staring, or glaring, or trying to talk to him. He got to the first room and glanced inside. He paused and looked for a little longer when no one yelled at him for being nosy.

A large-breasted woman was carefully bound with her forearms crossed over her lower back, and her feet to each end of a spreader bar. She was bent with her torso resting on a sturdy, padded base. She had a tight, thin t-shirt on, and loose joggers that were pulled down to her thighs. Several men stood around, some with their hands around their dicks, others watching. Another woman was behind her, running a hand over her lower back and holding a dildo in her other hand. Isaac listened as she spoke in a soft voice.

“Don’t you look precious all laid out for us here? Yes, you look like the sweet, little cum-dump you are. I’m gonna get you ready, Velvet. After that, all these nice men will take your tight little cunt for a ride.”

“Yes,” Velvet replied, and Isaac walked past as her partner slid the dildo inside.

The second room had its door shut, so Isaac walked on, the third had some people who looked like staff cleaning up equipment after a session and one of them had sanitation wipes and gloves. The third had an orgy that looked like it was just getting started. The energy was anticipatory, and people were greeting each other warmly or politely, hugging, kissing, and some of them laughing as they undressed. There was lube, and there were condoms and plenty of towels and trash cans. It looked about as comfortable as a place with sanitizable surfaces could get. He moved on and saw the next few rooms were mostly men. Locker rooms had made Isaac fairly comfortable seeing cocks of different sizes and appearance, but he did have to adjust his expectations when he saw them all hard and in use.

One guy was being spit-roasted by two others, and there was a row of men leaning against the wall with other men kneeling in front of them. The angle made it look amusingly structured, like a mobile milking parlor. He thought about the shelter for a moment before shaking the thought away. He did see three men together on a lounge chair where one man was on the bottom, another one was riding his cock, and a third man was fingering the second’s ass and looked like he was about to double-penetrate. Isaac waited patiently until the third man got into position and then saw his ass clench and heard the harsh breathing of the man in the middle.

“You’ve got it. You can take it.” The man’s voice was comforting, and confident. It made Isaac tingle.

“I-I can’t. I think it’s too much.”

“We can stop if you want.”

“No, just give me a second.” The man on the bottom ran his hand over the second man’s hair. He soothed him and kissed his forehead. “Okay, keep going.” Isaac watched as the third man slowly slid inside and started thrusting. It was definitely hot, and he briefly made eye-contact with the man on the bottom before moving on. There were other popular fetishes, and rooms that were little more than props, like a classroom, a room of office cubicles, a kitchen, and a room that was mostly dark, but had been effectively made to look like a park at night with benches, a streetlight, and some bushes that smelled like they were real plants.

People were enjoying most of the rooms, but Isaac was careful to pay attention to the signs because they were occasionally used for more than just props, as he saw a woman tied to what looked like a formal dining room table as men licked various sticky foods off her skin. His skin crawled a little with that one, because he hated the feeling of being sticky with jelly, or chocolate. He avoided the last few rooms because things got progressively messier, and the ammonia stench of urine burned his nostrils.

Isaac wandered back on the other side of the hallway, and saw a room that looked like the inside of a barn where a few people had obviously reserved it for a private, Pony Play party. Next were the Furries, who always looked like they were having a good time, mostly because the costumes all had smiles sewn into them. There was some role-play going on involving some cops and thieves, and then a closed door with an uncovered window which meant you were welcome to watch, but not interfere. Inside he was pleased to see the Flash, _finally_ giving it to Batman while Superman got railed by the Green Lantern. It was for personal satisfaction, not sexual that he watched for a few minutes, and on that occasion, the Flash _wasn’t_ the fastest man in the room.

Isaac passed two more private, closed doors and then went past the main corridor to the rooms tucked into the corners of the wide corridor. In one was an impressive forest/jungle that was probably for pretty specific fantasy use, but at the moment there was a large tent that his ears and nose told him was unused, and currently empty. The last one had bunks and pretty spartan furnishing of metal tables and chairs. It would’ve worked for prison or military role-play. Tomorrow would be busier, he knew, which was why he was watching tonight.

Isaac wandered back to get a bottle of water just for something to do, and caught sight of Brian. He raised his chin, and his mentor did the same, but Isaac didn’t move towards him right away. He went back to the gangbang room where Velvet was being roughly fucked by a slender, dark-skinned man. He waited for him to come with a grunt, and then pull out, getting immediately replaced with another man. He watched until that man finished and moved on. The room that was being cleaned before, was re-set but closed and he found the orgy had progressed to seven or eight people mostly naked and all engaged in some sex act or another. He watched until Mitch came back.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” Isaac smiled at him. “A lot less scary now I’ve looked around without any pressure.”

“Okay, let’s go talk.” Isaac sat down in the front room with Brian and they talked about how Isaac felt when he looked in the different rooms, how he felt about the people and the dynamics he saw. How he thought he’d feel about people approaching him. Isaac took the next step and returned his collar to the font office and walked behind Brian, with a leash attached to a black collar around his neck. People would speak to Brian before they spoke to him. He was a little worried that he’d be ignored like he had been before, like walking into a room and saying, ‘Who wants to talk to me?’ and nobody answering. That didn’t happen though because Brian knew everyone.

Isaac was introduced to everyone who wasn’t engaged in a scene, or sex with someone else. He relaxed a little and eventually Brian asked him if he wanted to try anything. Isaac thought he might try out some impact and Mitch introduced him to Velvet’s Domme, whose name was Ms. Manning. Ms. Manning was intimidating, although dressed fairly casually in dark jeans, a red, stretchy top, and black heels.

“Nice to meet you Isaac.” She shook his hand, made eye contact, and asked him to go out to the lounge to sit down.

“What about Velvet?”

“We’re finished, and she’s had after care. I’m her Domme, but she came with someone else.” Isaac noticed then that the slender, dark-skinned man was sitting with his arm around Velvet and they were snuggling and whispering to each other. “I’m a club employee part-time, and I don’t charge for my sessions here, but I do give out my card, and when I’m not here, I work privately.”

“I’d like to sit down and talk with you.”

Isaac was shyer and Ms. Manning waited patiently for him to feel comfortable, without telling him to be comfortable. She told him they could start with normal questions, rather than the usual checklists.

“I didn’t know much about it till I went with some friends to a club in San Francisco. I met someone there, we stayed in touch, and he introduced me up near Oakland and then I got in touch with Brian.”

“Do you have a support system you can talk to?”

“I have a great support system. My family passed away, but I have more of a found family. They’re really great, but I don’t want to talk to them about this.”

“Why don’t you feel comfortable telling them?”

“I don’t have a lot of privacy. I have a roommate and I'm really close with his family. They…pry a lot. And it’s all because they worry about me, but I just want this to stay private.”

“Why do they worry?”

“I was bullied a lot growing up. I loved him, but my dad was one of my bullies. I’m okay, and I like being okay, so I talk to a counselor regularly about grief, and how to deal with being the only one left.”

“Survivor’s guilt.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” Isaac nodded. “It’s hard to miss my dad, but still hate how he treated me.” He smiled a little. “Not easy, but we’re all works in progress.” Ms. Manning smiled at him after a moment, and he really looked at her. She had beautiful bone structure, deep mocha skin, and he guessed she likely had Asian and Latin heritage among other things. Her voice was what drew him in, and he felt bold. “Your voice,” he paused, “Your voice is strong. I feel like I could hear it underwater.” He grinned. “You sing, don’t you?”

“You’re a trouble-maker.” Ms. Manning swatted at him, playfully, but grinned. “You’re a sweet boy. And now I’ve talked to you, I feel like I can trust your answer. Do you feel comfortable giving control over to someone else and letting them give you what you need?”

“Yes, Ms. Manning.”

Isaac had been warned that he might draw a crowd when he went over his limits with Ms. Manning. He’d also been warned not to try and tell anyone who dominated him that he had a high tolerance for pain. It was all subjective, and they’d all start out carefully until they knew him. He felt excited as Ms. Manning buckled him into restraints. It was just after Midnight and the later crowd was coming in. He could hear the buzz of more voices and focused his mind by counting heartbeats. They were restless and horny, and Ms. Manning had a new Baby in chains.

“I’m starting with a flogger.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

A flogger was easy, and he didn’t make a sound, or very his breathing until she’d given him twenty. She paused and he heard the quiet murmurs of her conversation with Brian.

"You've worked with him?"

“Lynnette in Oakland told me he’s a much heavier hand than he looks. Soft as satin, but you’ll really have to make an effort to mark him up. That’s what she told me, but I haven’t done anything yet.”

“We’re going for a strap, Isaac.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” She used a wide strap, like a belt on him. But after a round with that one, his skin was just pink. She went to a narrower one, one he liked, and started to let go with him.

“I’m not going to hold back now, Isaac.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” There was a crowd, he could hear them shuffling in, and the whispers were getting drowned out by his heartbeat as Ms. Manning started to work. _This_. This was what he wanted. He needed it to be hard enough that the edge of the leather felt like burn, or a bite as it struck his flesh. He had to focus now because he needed to hold back his healing. He started to feel the buzz in the back of his mind as his muscles were taut and his fists gripped the chains and he screamed as the leather bit into his back, his ribs.

“Color?”

“Green,” he said, without hesitation.

“Do you want me to strike lower down?”

“Yes.”

“May I lower your pants?”

“Yes.”

They’d discussed this and agreed to work up to it. Isaac was trembling with adrenaline as Ms. Manning unfastened his belt and worked his pants down below his ass. He was against the wall, so his dick wasn’t displayed, but that wasn’t something that bothered him. Ms. Manning started on his ass and he felt himself getting hard as the blows rained down and he was chained up, vulnerable, naked, and beaten in front of others. He felt the buzzing in his head getting louder and then he heard her voice.

“Isaac, answer me.”

“Yes, Ms. Manning?”

“Color?”

“Green, but maybe just ten more?”

“Count for me.” She wanted to make sure he was still there.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight…” He needed to catch his breath because she’d really but some muscle into number eight. “Nine. Ten.”

“You were my perfect boy, Isaac.”

“Thank you Ms. Manning.”

“You’re not done yet, are you, Isaac?”

“No, Ms. Manning. Please make me come.”

“Anything for my perfect boy.” Despite the savage beating she’d just given him her grip was like iron when she reached down and wrapped her fingers around him. “Look at you so hard and red. You’ve got a nice, hard cock here, Isaac. It’s really beautiful, just like you.” Isaac came with a sharp cry, and then Ms. Manning and Brian were unfastening the shackles, and helping him down. There was quiet applause, which was easier for someone in subspace. He wasn’t in subspace, though. He could never let go, completely, but this was better than he’d ever had in Oakland.

Isaac and Ms. Manning sat and talked afterwards, and she told him she’d work with him again, but to make it last longer at the level he needed, she might recommend some others if she weren’t available. He agreed to hear her recommendations and told her he was planning to go back the next night and she agreed to see him again. She offered him some soothing cream for his back when they hugged goodnight, but he declined. Brian had greenlit Isaac to get an Uber home after talking with him for a few minutes. Isaac was flying high, and couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. He was stopped by a dozen people who introduced themselves and told him they’d enjoyed watching him.

Isaac was reaching the edge of the hallway when the familiar scent hit him. It was a split second before he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder.

“Keep smiling and walk out to the street. Wait there.” rumbled the voice, and the fingers tightened. He got his phone and ID from the front desk, and walked outside, without looking behind him. He was alone for several minutes, and considered hailing one of the cabs that drove by until a large, black, SUV pulled out of the parking garage. His stomach twisted into knots when it pulled up in front of him. The Omega climbed into the passenger seat and buckled himself in as Chris Argent pulled into traffic.

Isaac wasn’t sure what questions to ask first. _How did you find me? Were you following me? Are you going to tell Peter?_ Despite being found at the club by the Alpha who’d fucked-and fucked over-his roommate, he felt safe. What was the man going to do? Ground him? He looked around as the older man steered him through the streets.

“Where are we going?”

“The Four Seasons,” Argent answered, after a pause.

“Oh.” Isaac relaxed against the seat, and drifted a little. It took thirty minutes to get back to the hotel. “Thanks.” Isaac started to slide out of the SUV before Chris’s hand landed on his shoulder. “What?”

“Harness.”

Isaac had removed his harness for the beating and put it back on over his shirt. He fumbled with the buckle but managed to take it off before he got out. He heard Argent talking to the valet and tried to hurry, without looking like he was hurrying, to the elevators. It didn’t work, and Chris was standing beside him when the doors opened. The older man took the key card from Isaac’s trembling fingers and used it to activate the elevator, and pressed the button for Isaac’s floor. By the time they got to his door, he was trembling all over. When Argent opened the door, he hesitated and felt the man’s hand on the back of his neck.

“I-”

“It’s okay, Isaac.” He nearly wept with relief when he heard that. And Chris stood aside and let him walk into the suite. The bedroom was on the left and he stopped when he noticed that the bed had been turned down and two robes had been laid out. The ice bucket had been refreshed, in the living room, and a complimentary box of chocolates had been sent up.

“Um, Peter told me to-”

“I know. He told me.” Isaac looked Chris in the eye for the first time and saw deep sorrow there. The man reached up and rubbed a thumb under his eyes. Isaac realized he was crying then, but didn’t try to stop. Chris pulled him into a hug and held him. He didn’t sob, or break, there was just a big well of emotions in him and the tears were part of it.

“I just need to-to sit down,” he said, sniffling and pushing back after a minute or two. He toed off his shoes and walked to the couch. He sat and breathed heavily for a few minutes. Chris was dressed in a pale blue, button-down shirt, gray slacks, and his beard was carefully trimmed. “What are you doing in L.A.?”

“I had a meeting with stockholders. I’ve got another one on Monday, but I usually fly here and back the same day.” He sat down across from Isaac and waited, patiently.

“You went to the club dressed like that?” He blinked

“I had a black jacket with me, I wore that into the club.” He looked Isaac up and down. “You didn’t notice.”

“I didn’t turn around.”

“It’s dangerous to be alone when you’re that deep in a scene. People can be very suggestible.”

“I was planning to come back here and sleep, but someone interrupted my headspace and I kinda lost it.”

“Sorry.” Chris did look sad, but he always did. Isaac was starting to get edgy, and the older man seemed to sense it. “I’ll let you get some sleep.”

“Why did you…go to the club?”

“We’ll talk another time. You need rest.” Isaac got undressed and went to the bed. He ignored the hunter while he shed his dirty, sweaty clothes and put on a clean pair of sleep pants. His limbs were heavy, and he let Argent pull back the blankets in the cold, air-conditioned room and sank onto the cool sheet, face-down. He heard the man hiss in sympathy and gently raise the top sheet to his waist. “Can you sleep?”

“Yes.” Isaac felt Chris’s hand come to rest on the back of his neck. He squeezed, gently and let go.

“Goodnight, Isaac.”

Isaac didn’t remember falling asleep, just a vague memory of getting up to use the bathroom and draining a bottle of water. He didn’t remember waking up, either. His eyes were open, and he was staring at the crack in the blackout curtains that was letting bright sunlight into the bedroom. He processed the previous night with a hint of disbelief. He’d gone to the club, he’d met Ms. Manning who’d given him just what he’d wanted, and then Chris Argent had interrupted his endorphin-rich afterglow by barging into his secret life. He hadn’t been yelled at, or lectured, or threatened, or exposed…at least not that he knew of. He closed his eyes. Argent must have told Peter. In fact, Peter probably sent Chris to the club that night to keep an eye on him. Why couldn’t Isaac have secrets? Why couldn’t he have something for himself?

The Omega ordered a massive breakfast before quickly showering and dressing in a soft set of designer sweats. He even put on the complimentary slippers as he sat, fuming, and fretting in turns. His phone remained clear of messages, but Derek would be busy moving his stuff into the apartment, and Stiles was avoiding contact with people for the week. Isaac wished he’d done something like that, told people he wanted to be left the fuck alone for a few days. Unfortunately, everyone would assume he was committing suicide or going back to Duke’s pack.

Isaac let his head fall back against the couch cushion. Duke. There was so much baggage packed up with his former Alpha. He closed his eyes when he heard the creak of cart wheels, and the scent of coffee as is gently edged out the chemical cleaner scent of the house keepers’ carts. He fished a fifty-dollar-bill out of his wallet and let the room attendant in. The man took out a tablecloth and actually _set_ the table with plates, silverware, and the platters of food. Isaac tipped him and he left, but the Werewolf didn’t feel much like eating. He sighed and took the cover off the pancakes and changed his mind. He couldn’t tackle problems on an empty stomach, after all.

Isaac got a text from Scott asking if he wanted to play COD later, and Isaac reminded him that he was in L.A.

_Scotty-Right, how’s the art show?”_

_To Scotty- Not till Friday._

_Scotty-Have fun!_

Isaac hoped that meant Scott hadn’t heard about his activity the previous night. He couldn’t stand the idea of everyone knowing one more fucked up thing about him. He ate brunch, made mimosas with the champagne, and debated running away. He’d need a pack eventually, but he had enough money from Duke’s guilty payoff that he could, in theory, rent an apartment in West Hollywood, or one of the other places where famous people lived, and disappear among the masses of pretty faces and bodies. He had Chris’s number, and practically chewed his fingers to the bone while he typed, and re-typed, messages to the man.

To Argent C- Are you still in LA? He put his phone face-down, finished his breakfast, and then busied himself putting the covers back on the platters, and using the room phone to call for removal of the cart. He paced around, put his dirty clothes from last night in the plastic laundry bag, and put his harness where he hoped the house keeper wouldn’t find it. He checked the phone and there was a reply.

Argent C- What time are you going out tonight? Isaac tapped the phone against his mouth. He couldn’t deny that he was going because the hunter could just show up. Apparently, he was a member, or knew how to get past security. That thought made Isaac pause and curious. Chris had known people at the club in San Francisco. Not only that but he’d carefully disguised himself. Peter had said it was because he was on television, but the security cameras wouldn’t have been good enough that he’d have needed to use colored contact lenses. It was possible that Chris had bribed or sneaked his way into the club, but it seemed more likely that he was part of the scene. His phone vibrated again.

_Argent C-Don’t go there until we talk._

_To Argent C- I really don’t want to._

_Argent C- I haven’t told Peter or anyone else, but I will if you don’t talk to me before you go out._

_To Argent C -I’m not sure if I’m going back there. I can’t relax if you’re going to pop out at any moment, or if you’ve been following me._

_Argent C-That’s why we need to talk._

_To Argent C- I’m going out for a bit. I’ll text you after I’ve had time to think._

_Argent C- Text me before 7._

Isaac changed and went shopping. He texted Lydia photos of the stores where she was shopping and asked if she had anything on her wish list. She said no, but he told her he would pick out something anyway. He went into Cartier, and since he was wearing over two-thousand dollars’ worth of casual wear, he was helped immediately.

“Looking for something specific?” The young man who approached him looked pleasantly interested.

“A gift for a very good friend.”

Isaac paid extra for the shop to send the gift by express so it would get there before he did. He felt good doing it, and found something for Kira and Malia as well. Kira liked bling, and she was classy, but her style was more Tiffany’s. Isaac was confident enough to admit he knew things like that. He found a pretty necklace for the kitsune, and for Malia he had to think harder. She wore a little jewelry, but she wasn’t into dainty things, so he wandered, keeping his mind off himself, and eventually a nice leather jacket caught his eye, and he bought it and had it shipped, like the other gifts.

He sent a few photos to Peter, Scott, and Derek, and then got a photo of a pile of boxes and a blanket on the floor of the empty bedroom. _Moved in_ , was the caption. He hoped Stiles didn’t regret living with two Werewolves who’d been raised in a barn for the last few years. He got the feeling Derek was neat, but living with pack was different for humans. His thoughts about Stiles went a step farther and snapped back to Chris. The older man had really done a number on Stiles, and Isaac didn’t understand how the human could stand being so nice about it. Even with every reason to complain, Stiles had just said he needed a break. He hadn’t named names; he’d just said he had a lot going on in his head in his usual self-deprecating way.

If it had been Isaac, there would have been a lot more passive-aggressive language reminding people of how they’d wronged him. He only felt a pang of regret for what he’d been doing at the club when he thought about John. John had fully engulfed the Omega as another son. He referred to them, as ‘His Boys’, and what had made Isaac feel a little squishy was when he asked Isaac to do things for him, like bring him lunch, or help him level the back deck on his day off. When Stiles complained he was being replaced with a stronger son, John had casually replied that Stiles was actually being replaced with a _polite_ son. Scott had complained that _he_ was the polite son, and John had mumbled, _Not compared to Isaac._

Isaac knew John wouldn’t judge him for his kink, and wouldn’t condemn him with self-righteous fire and brimstone. He’d be hurt that Isaac didn’t feel he could trust him with his plans, and hurting John was the last thing Isaac wanted. He walked until he got bored with his own misery and caught an Uber back to the hotel. He texted Chris and ate a light dinner at five from room service and took another short walk before he went upstairs and went through a thorough hygiene ritual that involved two leisurely jerks and eating all of the complimentary chocolates.

At eight, he got a phone call from Peter who asked about his day, and made Isaac look up the website for the art show he used as his cover story for the trip. Peter directed him to the website for one of the artists that was linked to the art show page and had him scroll till he came to a painting Peter liked that he wanted Isaac to buy if it was available. He had two other pieces that struck his fancy and told Isaac to have the pieces shipped, because the artists would have the connections to do it with insurance.

“Putting me to work on my vacation,” Isaac sighed.

“I expect you to get there on day one, and fight tooth and nail for that abstract landscape in black and green.”

“Is that what it was?”

“I’m ashamed to call you my favorite Beta.”

“Derek’s your favorite Beta.”

“Derek’s never been my favorite Beta.”

“He was your only Beta for years.”

“I still liked Cora better.”

“I keep hearing about her, but I have yet to see her. I think it’s a code word you use for coke and hookers in Mexico.” He heard Peter chuckling. “Sorry, can’t make the pack meeting. Cora called, she’s feeling ill. Got the sniffles and a sore throat.” Then he snorted loudly and gagged. Peter roared with laughter.

“That’s why you’re my favorite Beta, Isaac. Don’t come back without my artwork, even if you have to steal the invoices and murder the other buyers.”

“Gotcha, Boss.”

“Have fun, and remember it’s okay to take pictures, but the internet is forever…and a felony if the other party doesn’t want them published.”

“If you say so.”

Isaac was smiling when he hung up. Peter wasn’t a father figure to him or Derek, in fact he wasn’t even a father-figure to Malia. Peter would have denied their lineage completely if it didn’t mean he got to be the hot, rich dad when they went to visit colleges. Malia had been pissed that she’d almost been late to the meeting with the dean because he’d been up all night with a coed who’d called him 'Daddy' loudly enough to keep Malia awake in the adjoining room. He was the bad uncle who let his eleven-year-old relatives watch R-rated movies and shows when they were little because he wanted to see what was on HBO instead of Disney channel.

Isaac brushed his teeth and sniffed his pits and liked to think he was a little more alert when he heard the elevator chime. He calmed his heartbeat and waited as the absence of any scent gave Chris away. He really needed to learn that trick. He waited until Chris knocked before opening the door. Chris was wearing a black shirt and black pants with a khaki raincoat.

“May I come in?” he asked. Isaac pushed the door open farther and held his arm out. He also refrained from making any comments about not having much choice, because Chris was the annoying guy who would argue semantics. Chris walked into the living room, after giving the bedroom a quick look. “Where are your shopping bags?” Isaac smiled, then. Chris had been checking his financial activity, but hadn’t followed him.

“Did you come to talk about shopping?”

“No.” He took off his coat while keeping eye-contact with the young Omega. “You’re still going?”

“Are you?”

“I doubt you’ll see me, tonight. I’ll be busy.”

“Are you going to the club?”

“Yes. Are you going to the club?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to fuck, or are you going to get worked over again?”

“Does it matter?” Isaac hated it when someone made him defensive. The corner of Chris’s mouth twitched, and his chin lifted a tiny little bit, and Isaac knew he’d lost ground. He’d missed something. Chris’s suspicions about his intelligence had just been confirmed. He racked his brain as one of Chris’s eyebrows went up just a tiny bit. The white teeth gleamed in the Alpha’s cold smile. He stepped forward and reached out to rest one hand on Isaac’s hip. He squeezed and for a moment the Omega thought the man was going to kiss him. He tilted his face, just a little and Isaac parted his lips, automatically. The man’s hand slid smoothly under the edge of Isaac’s shirt and up his back.

“You think you’re gonna get your dick wet, or your ass pounded, or spanked and nobody’s going to notice that you don’t have so much as a bruise after getting the kind of beating that starts people gossiping about the new heavyweight?”

“I wasn’t planning to take off my shirt.”

“Someone will see it, and they’ll be suspicious if you’re trying to hide it.” He paused and then moved his hand out from under the shirt. “Isaac, go into the bedroom and take off your shirt.” He was moving before he realized it, and the shirt was coming off before he even thought to ask why. He knew why, at least he was pretty sure he knew why, but he obeyed anyway. He didn’t turn around when Chris came in behind him. “Lie face down on the bed, arms over your head.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“How many times have you gone back after healing?”

“I’ve never been more than once every other week.”

“Has it been as deep as last night?”

“No.” He thought about why Chris was there. “Are you hunting? Is that how you find others?”

“It’s not where we go looking, but I’d notice, and any matriarch would notice.”

“So what are you doing?”

“Showing you how I managed to hide for more than two decades in the heart of the organization, while married to one of its keenest minds.”

“You fucked her till she was too tired to ask questions,” Isaac said turning with a nasty smile, “good plan, were you the top or the bottom?” Chris back-handed him so fast he didn’t see it coming and barely felt it at first. In a split second he felt his equilibrium go off-balance and then he felt pressure ripple outwards as pain blossomed in his cheek. He felt the scrape of Chris’s ring over his teeth and gums and then the sharp burn in his mouth. He didn’t fall back, he blinked and waited, arms by his sides, and then straightened up. He didn’t do the thing where he ran his tongue over his teeth and gums to assess the damage. He’d wait till the end, and build up suspense.

“Don't hold it back, i need your healing abilities primed.” Chris looked at his watch and then back at Isaac, calmly as the skin bubbled up with a quick rush of fluid, and then drained away as the color went back to his usual pale complexion. “Not bad. Youth has its advantages.” He took a slender, glass vial out of his pocket. It looked like a plant mister. “Before you go out tonight,” he said before making a quick movement with his other hand and spraying a mist from another bottle in the Omega’s face, "you'll need this." It burned like Hell and Isaac staggered back in surprise.

“What is that, Mace?”

“It’s aconite oil diluted with a carrier that goes into the blood stream quickly. It’s an irritant, and your body responds quickly and it gets spread around.”

“Why?”

“You’ll look hungover, maybe a little sick. It’s how people look when they’re recovering from a beat down.” Your body’s using a lot of fluid to try and repair the damage. You’ll still look normal, but if you look as fresh as a daisy, people will thing you’re on drugs at the very least.” Isaac ran to the mirror and frowned.

“Nobody’s gonna want to suck my dick if I look like I’ve got the flu, you prick.”

“Lie down on the bed.” Chris reached for his belt and unbuckled it. “Face down, arms over your head.” Isaac obeyed, and heard Chris slide the leather through the belt loops and relaxed into the covers. “Stay focused, Isaac. I’m not here to give you what you think you need.”

“Sure.”

The first blow landed. It was artless and blunt. It was meant to tear skin and leave welts. Three more came, and all of them landed hot and sharp on his ribs. After a moment, he felt the cool mist that started to burn. Then he felt heat spread around the welts. More strikes landed, and Chris was more precise and surgical, landing a few welts and then spraying with aconite, than showing any real appreciation for the craft. Nevertheless, the pain woke something in Isaac; the utilitarian disregard for his comfort, the lack of safe words, and the disinterest in leaving control with the one receiving the impact set him off-kilter. His ears were ringing, and his body bowed up in an arch with a strike to his kidneys. He heard Chris speak, and the man didn’t sound angry, or winded, or excited.

“Take your pants down, Isaac.” He sprayed the welts on the lower part of Isaac’s back and the heat bloomed in them, hopefully hiding the flush in his skin, because he was already at half-chub in his pants. He pushed himself up to his knees, and unfastened his pants, pushing the back down before falling onto his front again and wiggling them down his hips. He folded his arms under him and stared down at the plain, coverlet. “Don’t spread your legs.” The command made his face burn. He wasn’t presenting to the Alpha.

“I was spread out like that last night.”

“They’re not crime scene investigators, Isaac. I’m going for a rough approximation, and I don’t want to hit your balls.”

“Thanks for that.” Isaac adjusted himself.

Lying on a bed, about to get his ass spanked with a belt for making a mistake; this felt more to him like punishment than the blows to his back. There was something demeaning about baring such a vulnerable area to someone who was ‘correcting’ your behavior.

The first strike fell, and it hurt. It was less painful than the blows to his ribs, but it _hurt_ more. Isaac felt this far more than the others. Maybe he’d been in a different space than before, but he flinched and made a sound when the next one hit. Chris didn’t stop, he just delivered the hard, fast blows methodically, and ignoring the flinching Omega.

“Don’t move,” Chris said, spraying Isaac’s ass, which felt like it was on fire, now. “Don’t turn over or get dressed yet, I’ve got to get a wash cloth.”

“Why?” Isaac felt awkward and vulnerable lying face down with his ass out on his bed, waiting for Argent to come out of the bathroom. He didn’t get an answer but heard the water running. After a moment, the hunter returned to the bedroom.

“The aconite oil gets in the micro-abrasions and it stays localized,” the Alpha explained. “There’s an anti-clotting agent that lets you bruise, too. That’s what will be most noticeable, the fact that you don’t have any bruises. Charity had you black and purple last night, the red marks that didn’t break skin could’ve been explained away, but bruises like that don’t heal overnight.”

“Will this work when I’m sleeping?”

“Yes. I let the healing start to kick in a little, so they’ll look like they’re a day old before I used the spray, but it’s superficial. I still have to wash it off before you touch it.”

“If someone leaves other marks on me, I might need it.”

“Aconite is toxic to everyone. It tastes terrible, and can cause problems, even diluted.” He rubbed the cloth over Isaac’s shoulders and back. He left his ass for another minute until the bruising had time to catch up with the rest of him. “Almost done.” Isaac tensed up when Chris’s gently tugged one cheek to the side and ran the cloth up his butt crack.

“Consider me thoroughly chastened,” Isaac said, lifting his ass up in order to pull his underwear and pants back up. Getting his ass wiped like he was a baby had shrunk his erection. It was definitely not a kink of his. “I would’ve stayed home rather than take the risk if I knew people were talking about it.” Isaac rolled onto his back and fastened his pants. He saw Chris put the washcloth in a plastic shopping bag he’d apparently brought with him, and tie it up. He looked down at Isaac and was quiet for a long moment.

“You need to find someone who knows what she’s doing. Charity’s very good with beginners, and you’re a beginner, but you need to look for someone who specializes in extremes.”

“That’s her name?”

“It’s still Ms. Manning to you.”

“Obviously,” Isaac rolled his eyes, “but you’re on a first name basis with her?”

“Sometimes.” There was almost a smile at the edge of his mouth. “I have to go, and I probably won’t see you tonight. Don’t come looking for me, you’ve drawn enough attention already, and I don’t want to be associated with someone your age.” Isaac tried not to let the comment hurt. “On paper you’re twenty-one, although I don’t know when your real birthday is, but you look and sometimes act like you’re still in high school.”

“So does Stiles.”

“You’re not Stiles, and for the record, he’s an exception.”

“You usually like older guys?”

“Don’t worry about what I like, Isaac. Meeting with Brian was a good decision. You should keep him as your mentor for questions and to talk things over. He’s good people.”

“I will.” He stood up and Chris handed him his shirt. “So, if we cross paths, do I just pretend I’ve never seen you before?”

“No, but don’t be familiar with me, don’t call me Chris, and don’t call me Argent.” His cold eyes were hard now. “If you absolutely can’t avoid it, only ever call me ‘Sir’, in the clubs. Never anywhere else. Do you understand?”

“The words? The order? Yes. The situation? No.”

“It’s better if someone at the club gives you an explanation, novices won’t know what I’ve already told you.” His eyes softened. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

“Why did you do this?” Isaac asked. “Instead of just telling me to stay away, you made it so I could go again.”

“You needed it.” He took out the aconite spray. “I don’t need to know why.”

“It’s this weekend.”

“What?”

“The…my brother’s birthday. It’s on Saturday. He’d have been eleven.” He saw Chris start to nod and then pause. He’d been pretty beaten up when He’d been rescued from, his family. But he must’ve remembered Isaac telling Kate that Cam was blowing out his candles when he’d died.

“Do you need-”

“I need this,” Isaac said, cutting him off and gesturing to his back. “Survivor’s guilt over-simplifies things, but people understand it.” Chris held his gaze for a minute, and then left without another word


	2. A different itch

Isaac didn’t see Chris when he went back to the club, but he was plenty busy. The Thursday crowd was a little more informal like Wednesday, and people were friendly and approached him with more of a ‘new kid in school’ then ‘new meat’ vibe. He sat around and talked a bit with some people in the main room, and no one asked him why he needed such deep impact play. Once he felt ready, he moved into the back corridor and saw a slightly bigger crowd, and fewer staff. All the rooms were in use, but it didn’t feel crowded. The building had very wide hallways and fairly high ceilings. It actually reminded him of his old high school.

The orgies tended to start later, but the fetish rooms were occupied with reserved time slots in the more popular ones. Isaac saw something a little different going on in the ‘barn,’. Where it had pony players in it before, he saw a small group wearing prosthetic fangs with a man strapped to a breeding bench. They were called ‘Bitch Stands’ in the breeding community. He found himself inside the room, standing by the wall and watching as the man on the bench growled theatrically as he was ‘bred’ by three others, including a woman with a strap-on that had a knot on it. It took about fifteen minutes for all three to mount the ‘bitch’. All of them wore fangs and growled.

Isaac saw three other men who were restrained to the walls with muzzles that looked all-too familiar. He watched as a ‘farmer’ came over and ‘collected’ essence from each of the ‘Alphas’ along the wall. He found himself feeling a little less excited and left. He wondered if it was the comparison to various other animal play, or the fact that most Weres behaved a lot like animals, or if it was ultimately that they were fetishizing inhumane treatment of his brethren. He couldn’t say for sure it would be the same for a black person to watch white people fetishizing a slavery role-play.

It wasn’t as if Isaac didn’t know about Weres being fetishized, but he it bothered him that they were thrown down with animal play instead of being a proper supernatural fetish like vampires. He was a little bothered, but it occurred to him that a blowjob would probably help the situation. There was another miscellaneous sex acts room where he could be in the company of others, but not with the group participation expectations of the orgy room. He made eye contact with a dark-skinned bear who gave him a nod and a smile. The guy was built well, like he did something physical for a living rather than worked out and had his body hair manscaped.

The faint scent of lumber with the tang of metal that hung around the man told Isaac he was probably correct about his assumption. He went inside and made his way around the room before meeting the bear who was still alone.

“Saw you last night,” he said.

“Which room were you in?”

“I was working last night, but I saw you with Ms. Manning.” He smiled. “You looked beautiful. I wouldn’t have approached you while I’m on the clock, but I was hoping I’d get to say hi.” He held out his hand. “Jason.”

“Isaac.” He hadn’t bothered to go with an alias.

“I know most members, was last night your first night here?”

“Yes, I was referred by Brian. He mentored me.”

“Good guy. What are you here for tonight?”

“Nothing as heavy as last night.” He put his hand against his low back, and didn’t have to fake the grimace when he stretched. “It was great, but it’s not something I want every day.” He looked over Jason. “Tonight I thought I’d try for a different kind of release.”

“What are you into?”

Isaac did his best to keep it simple, everything was negotiable, and he just mentioned the stuff he did and didn’t like.

“No scat or watersports. I like being dominated, not demeaned. Boss me around, push me around, but don’t call me a slut or insult me.”

“Tell me how I can push you around without insulting you.” Isaac was pleased that he got this request rather than push back.

“Boss me around, tell me faster, slower, harder, or to move my ass, but it takes me right out of the moment if I’m sucking your dick and hear ‘you’re doing it too slow or too soft’.”

“Do you like face fucking?”

“Haven’t fucked anyone else’s face yet, I don’t mind it if it’s someone I’ve been around enough to trust them.” He shrugged. “Sorry, it probably seems like a lot, but I’m newer to the scene.”

“Isaac,” Jason said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Never apologize for telling me what you need and like.” He smiled. “I think you’ll find that people have their preferences, but tend to be a little more flexible if they meet someone they like.” He nodded at a darker corner of the room “Want to join me in that sketchy-looking corner?”

“Yeah.”

Isaac was fine with kissing, but not everyone was. Jason didn’t seem opposed, but he took a moment to run his hands over Isaac’s chest and shoulders.

“Can I see your back?”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m bleeding anywhere.”

“I’m just curious, bruises aren’t my kink.”

“Sure.” Isaac turned around and pulled off his shirt. He rolled it up and tucked one end into his back pocket. “You can touch it if you want, it doesn’t hurt too bad today.” Jason was silent, but he slid his hands down Isaac’s sides and gripped his hips. “How bad is it?”

“Not bad,” Jason said, you’ve healed pretty well. You looked like raw hamburger when you put your shirt on last night.”

“Felt like I was on fire when I got back to the hotel last night. I almost forgot to take off the harness, but I put something on it that helps with bruising.”

“You’re a beautiful man, I’d be scared to mark up all that pretty skin.” He held out his arms. “I hide the bruises better.”

“You have nice skin,” Isaac turned and placed a palm against his cheek. Jason was hot, but he also had a deep voice and quiet charisma that Isaac found even more appealing after talking to him for a few minutes. He had a quiet confidence that made Isaac curious about him. He leaned forward and inhaled, deeply. He still smelled the wood, but there was a chemical sharpness to it as well. “Did you build something today?” He picked up Jason’s hands which were surprisingly smooth.

“How did you guess?” Jason looked surprised.

“I can smell fresh-cut lumber. A friend of mine is rebuilding his barn so it’s familiar.” He let Jason pull him closer and run his hands over his ass. He wanted to ask more about Jason, but he held back. A lot of people didn’t want their kinks shared with other people they knew. “I guess this would be a good place for a pun about wood.” He ran his hand over the front of Jason’s leather pants. “I’m too classy for that, though.”

“Are you too classy to get on your knees?” Jason’s voice got a little sharper and cleaner. He had a hard, hungry look in his eyes. “I’d love for you to take my cock out and suck it.”

“Okay.” Isaac liked being over in the dark corner, on his knees and working Jason’s thick cock. The big man made noises like he was enjoying it and stroked Isaac’s hair as he worked his way down until he got him close to the back of his throat.

“That’s good, Isaac. Oh, your mouth feels so good. Keep going, just like that.” Isaac cupped and caressed his balls, which were only a little sweaty considering the leather pants, he sucked on them each which made Jason grunt. “Fuck! Yeah, I’m close, suck me till I come, Baby.” Isaac moaned around his cock and sucked until he was empty. He swallowed and stood up to be engulfed in Jason’s arms. “You’re so beautiful and perfect, Baby. That was so good.” He ran a hand over the front of Isaac’s pants and rubbed his already hard cock through the denim. “Let me do it for you.”

Isaac wasn’t proud of the fact that he’d practiced on many bananas in order to try to train away his gag reflex, but when Jason went down on him, he showed him a new meaning of the term. He had to lean back against the wall as the big man gripped his hips and yanked them forward, keeping his head still and making Isaac fuck his mouth. He came faster than he’d have liked, but Jason sucked him hard enough to feel a little bruised and tender afterwards. His knees felt like jelly and Jason hugged him for almost two minutes, before letting go, although Isaac had been happy to hold on.

“How are you, Isaac?” Ms. Manning came up to the Omega in the hallway.

“Great, how are you?”

“I’m fine, I was hoping you’d come back. Can I hug you?” He opened his arms and she hugged him, gently. He’d put his shirt back on, and he was glad. She probably knew more about bruises and healing than most people, and he was probably being overly cautious, but he felt better keeping his shirt on for the nrest of the night. “What are your plans for the night?”

“Probably going to have some more sex.” He wasn’t sure what it was about his face, but women often talked to him like they were at a church social. Not their words, but their assumption that he was a sweet boy, he liked shocking them sometimes. Ms. Manning wasn’t like them. “What are your plans for the evening?” He raised an eyebrow. “And may I say you’re looking very hot?”

“You may, and thank you. I’m off tonight, so I’m planning to have some sex too.”

“Any particular kind?”

“I’m in the mood for pussy.”

“I could go for some of that. Want a wing man?”

“Won’t say no.” She took his hand and they strolled off towards the other rooms.

~

Isaac went to the sneak peek of the art show on Saturday and met with the artist whose work Peter wanted. He promptly bought the two paintings and arranged for their shipment. He enjoyed the freedom of being at his leisure. He also found about a dozen artist who hadn’t been in the brochure. They’d had the money to buy a booth, but not enough to pay for advertising and to have their images on the website. Always rooting for the underdog, he bought a small, stained-glass piece that he could hang over one of the windows, a line drawing of a nude woman standing in front of a window, and a small abstract landscape. A wildlife photographer who had a studio in Northern California had her display of wild mustang herds in Wyoming, ravens near the Grand Canyon, and a pack of wild Weres that she’d followed over the last three years.

Isaac’s belly clenched with nerves, and at first he wanted to run away, but instead, he waited until another person distracted the photographer with questions about the raven photos. He stepped into the booth and stood close to them, looking over each face. There was clearly a conservation theme because each display told a story from left to right, that started with wild isolation and ended with the clash of nature and man. The mustang foals featured at the beginning, with families, and then a roundup. The ravens with young, flying over the canyon, and then eating out of dumpsters.

“Can I help you?” she asked, and he picked up one photograph off the wall and held it out.

“Do you ship?”

“Uh, sure.”

“I’ll be done in a minute.” He picked three others and asked for her card. “I know someone who might be interested in your work,” he said.

“Great. Here’s my card, and on the back of this postcard is a list of my upcoming shows.”

Isaac didn’t wait for her to package up the photographs, instead, he took them back to the hotel and stared at them for a while.


	3. Assumptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catching up to the first chapter or two of "Three's Company", but from another perspective.
> 
> WTF? I just re-read this and went back to clean it up. I suck at beta-ing my own stuff.

The rest of the weekend was lazy for Isaac. He did go to the club, but he wasn’t interested in any more impact. He went for sex. He exchanged blowjobs with Jason who smelled like lumber, metal, and antiseptic soap. He hoped it meant the guy was a lumberjack who liked clean hands, or something awesome like that. He also met a power-bottom named Ralphie who everyone seemed to think was very cleverly dressed. Isaac knew when he was missing a cultural reference so, he pretended not to notice the pink bunny ears and eye patch. Ralphie rode him hard, and Isaac came _very_ hard; so did Ralphie, and they parted ways. He loitered around a bit, telling himself he wasn’t looking for Argent.

Isaac was about to call it a night, but was convinced he should have a little bit more sex by a blue-haired girl named June who said he had a nice dick for anal, and did he want to? He followed her into a quieter room with some dark corners and she gave him head for a bit until his dick was hard and wet. He was narrow but long which what he’d been told was a nice saddle curve, so when she turned around and presented him with a little purple-jeweled plug, he happily removed it. He rolled on a condom, slicked himself with lube and slid in slowly.

“Ah,” June gasped.

“Too much?”

“No, it’s good. It’s intense. Go faster, I’ll tell you if I need you to slow down.” He did, she used her fingers to get herself over the edge as he gripped her hips and thrust into her ass. He’d already gotten off so he wasn’t too close to the edge, like she was, so he disposed of the condom, and June pushed him up against the wall and sucked him till he came. The third orgasm of the night made his belly clench hard. After that, he was finished and went back to the hotel. He flew back on Saturday when Scott told him he was worried about Stiles. He found the itinerary that the human had hidden in his laundry basket, and everyone freaked out when they realized Stiles had never checked into his hotel. Chris had flown back the previous day, and cancelled his return trip to L.A. to help look for the missing human.

A phone call from a barely coherent Stiles, a trip to the hospital later, and they had some answers. Isaac felt terrible that Stiles deliberately chose him as the secret message bearer because he believed Isaac wouldn’t care enough about him to look for a secret message.

When the human returned to the apartment, he looked awful. Isaac could see the mental deficit in how forgetful and volatile he was. His moods were up and down, and he slept all the time, only coming out the first few days when he was hungry or thirsty. Lydia had voiced her concerns quietly that Stiles had suffered two concussions close to each other and Isaac was reminded of how much pain and disability humans had to deal with. Most wolves either healed or died. They didn't have to heal in order to return to their normal personalities.

Isaac knew John was bothered by Stiles’s distance, and made an effort to be useful. He helped the Sheriff clean out the garage, and asked him for help practicing interview questions. They finished the garage and brought takeout to the apartment to eat with Stiles.

“I’m glad you’re asking me for help, Isaac.” John put his arm around the Omega. “It makes me feel like I have something to offer you.”

“You’ve done so much for me.” Isaac looked surprised.

“Anyone in the pack would’ve been happy to be your family, Isaac. You’re easy to love, and that wasn’t a hard decision. I’m pleased that this is something you want to work for, and that you want my help with it.”

“I’m not just doing it because its what I think you’ll want to hear.”

“I know, but it’s good for making personal connections. Asking people to do what they’re good at.” Thinking more about what John had said, Isaac asked about the others.

“Peter’s good with computers, but he’s also good at helping others find their gifts.” Stiles piped up as they ate ramen.

“And Lydia?”

“You already let her be your personal stylist. Let her give you advice about blending in with different kinds of people as well, she’s good at spotting that stuff.”

“What about you?” Isaac asked, trying to sound casual.

“You’re family now, and you’ve asked me Omega stuff. I never have anyone I can help with that.”

“What kinds of skills should I have if I’m going to be an adult in the pack?”

“Budgeting, finance, investments, retirement planning…” John shrugged and drank the broth in his bowl. “Boring stuff.”

“I suppose.”

When Isaac came back from his run the next day, he found Derek and Chris in the apartment. Chris was carrying his toolbox and bidding Derek goodbye. He nodded to Isaac who spoke up just as he was leaving the apartment.

“Can you show me how to shoot?”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Because it seems like something I should learn before I buy a handgun.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m at the range this week, want me to come pick you up?

“Sure, thanks.” He shut the door after Chris left. He went to take a shower and saw Derek’s eyes narrowed at him. “What?”

“You could’ve asked the sheriff.” He paused and raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t.”

“Now that you’ve got bedroom furniture, you’ll be sleeping alone, right?” He tapped his nose, and Derek retreated.

Isaac tried to shake off the uncomfortable scene the morning of his shooting lesson. Derek getting outed as a lying liar who lied about having no furniture, and the additional awkwardness of Stiles and Chris’s conversation in Stiles’s room was somewhat alleviated by Stiles and Isaac questioning Chris’s virility and his motivation for hanging out in the apartment. Still, it made him jumpy when he got in the car with Argent.

During the drive over to the range, Chris got the Omega breakfast, and while Isaac had his mouth full of egg and cheese sandwich, Chris sprung something else on him.

“I can be your friend and mentor, Isaac. I can even help set you up with someone locally if you need something more than what L.A. can offer, but I can’t be with you.”

“You’re breaking up with me?” Isaac said, after he managed to swallow the bite of sandwich in his mouth. He saw the shocked expression on the hunter’s face. “After all the dating and fucking we _haven’t_ done?” Chris stopped at a stoplight. “What the fuck is with you?” He looked up at the skylight. “I didn’t go looking for _you_ at the club. I didn’t go looking for _you_ at whatever hotel you were in, but I'm still getting the lecture about chasing you.”

“You could’ve gotten the sheriff to help you learn to shoot, but you asked me, instead.”

“I’ve never been comfortable around you; what happened in L.A. won’t change that.” He shrugged. “Stiles still wants to blow you, for some reason _I_ can’t fathom. You still hang around even though you’re not in the pack, so I figured I should probably find something else to have in common with you.” He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed it while Chris braked for a red light. “Considering how often people try to kill me, this seemed like a good skill to learn.”

“Why aren’t you comfortable around me?”

“Probably lots of reasons, but I didn’t bother to waste my time looking for anything deeper than than 'you’re a guy who kills his own kind'.”

“I suppose that’s fair, but you’re not telling the whole truth.”

“Neither are you, and not to sound like a third grader, but you’re not the boss of me. It’s not your job, or your place to interrogate me. If Peter asked you to do it, I’ve totally lost confidence in his abilities as an Alpha.”

“He didn’t.” Chris looked at Isaac. “He thinks we’re flirting.”

“You activate my fight or flight response. That’s fucked up.”

“Maybe.”

“If you agreed to this lesson solely to get me alone so you could try and psychoanalyze me, or give me some kind of counseling for my issues, I think this is probably the only time you’re the guy who brought a Nerf bat to a gun fight.”

“Nerf bat?”

"Ineffective tool for the situation."

"I understand the meaning, but not the application." Chris's voice was crisp and frosty.

"You don't have the trunk space for all of my baggage. And without meaning to sound ungrateful, you're kinds of messed up too." He paused. "It's like a guy with a three-month sobriety chip trying to be a sponsor."

“Not shying away from metaphor today.” Chris drove through the intersection. “Do you want me to take you back home?” 

“What part of ‘this isn’t about you’, didn’t come through in my epic burn of your fifty-year-old ass’s attempt to let a twenty-something guy down easy?”

“Sorry.”

Isaac managed to keep it together through the lesson, and even agreed to Stiles’s idea of sparring before being dropped off back at the apartment. He was angry but kept it buried down inside. He showered and told Stiles he was going out. He couldn’t stand to spend the evening in the apartment with Derek slinking around like a stalker and Stiles being pelted with sexual interest. He was furious with Peter, because his Alpha wasn’t supposed to laugh and tease him by referring to his discomfort as a crush. He calmed down when he thought about how Chris had shut down most of his own scent, something only the wolves with the best control could do, and decided to put his anger aside and learn from the man. He also really needed to blow off steam.

Stiles horned in on his game, probably also sick of Derek stalking him, and Isaac didn’t have the energy to argue. Left on his own, Derek would automatically seek out Peter, and the Alpha would get a whiff of him in proximity and lock him down, quick. Isaac’s night was starting to look better, since he could ditch Stiles easily enough, and then Derek dropped the bomb that he’d accompany them. Stiles made a good effort to cancel this, but once Isaac saw the massive smile on Derek’s face, he knew they weren’t getting rid of him.

Derek’s increasingly clingy and occasionally possessive behavior was a classing sign of a stress-rut. A former soldier in his old pack had gone into one shortly after returning from deployment. Normally, it’s not a problem, but Derek was afraid of his rut, and was desperately trying to stave it off by keeping close to Stiles. The Omega was non-threatening and associated, in some strange way, with Derek’s feeling of safety. When he went to hang out in his room for a few hours before leaving for the night, Derek insisted on camping out in his armpit. Neither of them mentioned it. Bro-code, and all that.

“You told Stiles I want Argent, didn’t you?”

“He had me over a barrel.”

“You’ve no idea what’s going on, I just got a fucking lecture from someone I don’t even trust because he thinks I’m going to ask him to be my Daddy or something.”

“You do have a crush.”

“No. I’m anxious and nervous around him because he knows shit about me that I don’t need him talking about. And no, you obviously can’t keep secrets, so I’m not telling you.”

“His belt,” Derek said, snuggling deeper. “When he came back, I could smell traces of your skin, and aconite on the leather.” Isaac said nothing. “Just make sure you know why you’re going there.”

“You can give advice when you stop using me as your body pillow.” Isaac sighed. “I didn’t go looking for him. He found me, and I don’t expect to cross paths like that again.”

“The scene in Sacramento sucked last time I was there. It was mostly a few people who rented large houses for people who wanted to cosplay.”

“They’re still around, but there’s a smaller, more exclusive group loosely connected with them. There’s an actual club. Its small, and most of the time, it’s rented out doing other things, but when they meet, it’s a pretty good group.”

“How long did it take you to get in?”

“I met a contact in San Francisco, gave me a recommendation. From there I met someone who put me in touch with someone in L.A. I like it there. I’ll probably try and go back every few weeks.”

“Why?”

“Don’t ask me that.”

“Okay.”

The night was exactly the disaster Isaac thought it would be. Derek was glued to Stiles who only now seemed to notice that something was wrong. He couldn’t call Peter, because Derek would heard him, so he sent a text.

_To Bad_uncle- Derek’s pre-stress rut. Come to Jungle to get him. He doesn’t know, neither does Stiles._

_Bad_uncle- Is he targeting?_

_To Bad_uncle- Stiles. He’s been sleeping beside him to try and keep his rut away. He’s scared of it. Now he’s following Stiles around._

_Bad_uncle- How close?_

_To Bad_uncle- A day away. I wouldn’t have let him leave, otherwise._

_Bad_uncle-On our way. Don’t engage._

_To Bad_uncle- Ok. Tell me when you’re close._

Isaac felt Derek’s eyes on him when he found a corner to park himself with the other Omega. Isaac reverse-stalked, by making sure Derek could see and hear him as he was approached by a guy on the floor who was good-looking and probably about thirty. Too young to be a Daddy, too lean to be a bear, but too old to be a twink.

“Hey,” the guy said.

“Hey, yourself.” He sipped the beer the guy handed him. He saw Derek hovering close to Stiles and decided it was time to have his fun and get out. He chugged the cheap beer and clapped the guy on the shoulder. “Gotta hit the bathroom,” he said, “Wanna come protect me?”

“Sure.” He let the guy follow him to the bathroom where they found a quiet stall. The guy blew him, and then Isaac jerked him off. He felt his phone buzz just before the guy came, and washed his hands, stepped out of the room and looked at his phone.

_Bad_uncle-ETA 5. Chris is going in the front, I’ll be around the back. Don’t do anything until he’s inside. When you see him, bring Derek out to the alley beside the club._

_To Bad_uncle- OK._

Isaac went out and saw Stiles talking with a guy he wouldn’t mind meeting, and Derek scowling in the middle of a herd of twinks who flirted shamelessly. He hung back for a few minutes until he got a text from Peter stating that Chris was inside. Isaac texted him Derek’s location as Stiles went back to Derek who grabbed him. Isaac caught a whiff of him over the stink of the crowd. His rut was hitting its stride and the younger wolf moved.

“Chris, get Stiles out of here.” He saw Derek clamp onto the back of Stiles’s neck and squeeze.

“Not cool.” Stiles was upset at being manhandled. Isaac approached and instinctively fastened his own hand on the back of the Alpha’s neck. He felt a buzzing under his skin, and then Derek released Stiles and turned towards him. He caught sight of Chris and heard him say to go to the back door and head for the street where Peter was waiting.

Isaac steered Derek through the crowd and broke the lock on the door to the back entrance where shipments came in through the narrow alley. It wasn’t a loading dock, but the door was the same. He twisted off the padlock, jerked up the bay door, and shoved Derek out into the night. He shut it behind him, and dragged his dazed pack member towards the street. He felt Peter’s influence wash over them like a wave. Their Pack Alpha didn’t even need to speak when they were this close. He gratefully sank into the impulse to be led and then two strong arms were wrapped around him and Derek.

“Let’s go home, Boys.”

Isaac took Derek’s keys and drove to Peter’s apartment. Peter and Derek sat in the back and Peter held his nephew tightly.

“I’m sorry, he escalated fast.”

“You brought him here?”

“He wouldn’t let us go alone. I wanted to get Stiles away from him.”

“You knew Stiles was in danger?”

“No. He was using Stiles to keep the rut at bay. I wanted him to have to go to you while Stiles and I were someplace else.”

“Okay, so why not go to a restaurant?”

“A stress-rutting Alpha is an asshole under the best of circumstances, he’s a paranoid mess under the worst. When I suggested going someplace else, he got defensive. So I figured I could just get out to the club, wait for him to feel overwhelmed and then want to leave. I didn’t think he’d try and pair with Stiles.”

“He was desperate,” Peter said, nodding. “I wish you’d called me earlier.”

“He’s an adult, and he’s older than me.” Isaac reached out for the parking garage pass Peter held out to him and opened the barrier. The noise startled Derek out of his fog.

“Laura?” He said, trying to keep his eyes open and look around. He sounded drunk.

“It’s alright, Derek. We’re almost home.” The soft regret in Peter’s voice made Isaac want to cry. He understood why Peter had pushed Chris to try and clear the air, and why the man had thought Isaac had a crush. He was new at this, and struggling to keep new Betas and his remaining family together. He couldn’t possibly get everything right.

“He’s been telling Stiles he didn’t have any furniture and sleeping in his bed since Stiles came home. I’ve never noticed anything sexual between them.” Isaac sighed. “I think he subconsciously still sees Stiles as someone who made him feel safe after…Kate.”

“I know, Isaac. I should’ve seen this coming.” He sighed. “I’m glad you were there for him.”

“I made jokes about it to him, I thought he knew. I didn’t realize he was in denial, Peter, or I’d have called you.”

“I know, I’m sorry if I sounded like I was blaming you.” They got Derek up to Peter’s apartment, and Peter curled up with him on the couch while he sent Isaac with a list for supplies. Isaac went to get the rut essentials in the local super store that was open twenty-four hours a day. In the autumn, they were prominently displayed, and grouped together. In the early spring, he had to dash around to store loading up on bananas, almonds, avocados, two giant frosted cheese Danishes, hydration salts, a tube of high-quality lube, and a three-pack of tissues. He was sweating a little from running around and the girl in line behind him asked if he needed a partner.

Isaac drove the Camaro with the windows down and thought about stopping in to tell Stiles that everything was okay, but as he passed Chris’s house, he heard Stiles’s voice.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was lying about the bed. Please forgive me, _Alpha_.” Stiles had that whiny, needy tone he used when he was about to get fucked. Isaac sped up as he heard Chris’s reply.

“Shut up, Omega. Take your punishment like a _good boy_.”

The Omega blushed as he went back to Peter’s. He felt stupid. If Derek had told Stiles something about Isaac and Chris, Stiles had probably been the one to mention it to the hunter. He could have done it at some point between suggesting that Isaac wrestle with Chris and later trying to give the Alpha a blowjob. Of course, Chris wanted to make sure Stiles knew he’d cleared things up with Isaac before jumping right back into bed with him. It wasn’t like Isaac was jealous, he just hated the idea of everyone having assumptions about him and his feelings for someone else. And that no one bothered to talk to him about them until Chris. He went back to the apartment and brought Peter the bags.

“How is he?”

“Not great. I know he’s been difficult, but can you stay for a bit. You managed to do a lot with your pheromones in the club.”

“What?”

“You calmed him. You released a pheromone that calmed him down in a club full of people.”

“He had Stiles by the back of the neck, and I just reached out for him.”

“It must’ve been instinctive. That’s a great sign.” He handed Isaac the lube and a bottle of water. “Give him this, and see if you can get him to drink something. If you take the first shift, I’ll get up at four and give you a break.”

“Okay.”

“What are you okay letting him do?”

“He and I talked about it before he moved in. There’s a good chance Stiles and I might have heats or breakthrough symptoms at the same time. He said he’s okay with helping us and vice versa. I just don’t know what he’ll need.”

Derek surprised no one when he turned out to be a cuddler. He was clingy and a little aggressive with scenting for the first few hours, but then fell asleep watching cooking shows. Being raised in a society where most people had heats and ruts once or twice yearly meant being very non-judgmental about sexual contact between friends. It only applied to heats and ruts, the rest of the time, people were still puritanical assholes with outdated ideas about what people should and shouldn’t do with consenting adults. In your rut, if you’re a panty-sniffer who likes to wear frilly aprons, nobody bats an eye. If you’re an adult who likes getting a belt across his back for kicks, you’re a freak, or a deviant.

At around three, Isaac woke to Derek gently rutting against him. He rolled over and let Derek cling to him until everything got sticky and messy. The he poked at the Alpha’s face till he rolled off and went to change into a pair of Peter’s pajamas. He heard Stiles and Peter’s voices, and then Derek was awake. They joined long enough to make their demands for treats, and soon enough Peter was kicking their ears out of the proverbial room to have virtual sex with his two lovers. Isaac didn’t want to listen, but it was hard to ignore your Alpha.


	4. If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy...

Isaac only saw Chris for their sessions over the next month. The older man seemed focused on the lessons when they were together, but not uninterested in Isaac’s life.

“Any thoughts on future endeavors?” Chris asked, handing Isaac a bottle of water. He didn’t have the decency to look winded after kicking Isaac’s ass all over the clearing out in the woods where they’d been sparring. There were no cameras around and they’d jogged up some running trails until they’d come to the place. It was nice to be able to let loose without raising concerns of Chris’s staff at the range, or in a gym. Nice for Chris anyway, because he was always winning.

“My plan changes from one week to the next,” Isaac said, sipping the water. He dumped a little on his fingers and used it to wash blood from his upper lip. He didn’t mind Chris going all-out on him, because nobody would cut him slack in the real world.

“What are you this week?”

“Learning some stuff from Peter. Stiles is helping me learn how to do online research and where to look for things other than just googling. I’m mostly helping him because his headaches are still an issue if he’s on the computer too much.”

“I didn’t know it was still such a problem.”

“It isn’t always, but there’s a lot of screens, phone computer, television, and if he gets too much, it’ll bother him for a few days. So, I’m trying to take some of his workload off.” He took a few swallows of water and wiped his mouth. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll be here next week. You can have your Friday morning back for cleaning your guns, or dodging Danielle.”

“She’s a bear in the mornings.” Chris grinned, and his smile was pinker than usual, because Isaac had managed to kick him in the face right before getting thrown into a boulder. “Is it the stuff you’re doing with Peter?”

“Uh, no. I’ve got a trip to L.A. planned.” He cleared his throat and pushed himself off the ground. “One more round?” He set his water bottle down and stretched.

“Sure.”

Chris didn’t ask any details about the trip, but their final round was swift and brutal. Chris gave him a ride back to the apartment and asked if he could use the bathroom. He followed Isaac upstairs and Isaac let him in.

“Stiles and Peter are on their way back from breakfast, if you want to hang out.” He nodded to the bathroom off the kitchen. “Grab something cold from the fridge, and make yourself at home, if you want. I’m gonna grab a shower.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, Chris.”

Isaac showered and dressed, hearing voices in the kitchen just before he came out. He greeted Peter and Stiles.

“Chris is here,” he said, mostly to Stiles since Peter would already know.

“Hope you don’t mind,” the hunter said, coming out of Stiles’s bedroom with his gym bag. “I borrowed your shower.”

“Not at all,” teased Stiles. “Just wish I’d gotten home earlier.”

“Update day?” he asked.

“Yes,” Peter said with an eye roll. “We’re trying to get all of the systems, including security to talk to each other. Stiles’s friend recommended uninstalling the newest component, reinstalling the old one, running the updates and then updating that one part.”

“Danny knows his stuff,” Stiles said.

“If he’s right, it’ll be worth the price.”

“Price?” Chris asked.

“He’s treating Bell’s Palsy with essence,” Stiles said. “He spent two hours here going over everything and then writing up instructions to get the update in, bug-free.”

“He can’t do the installation?”

“It’s a waste of his talent,” Stiles said. “I don’t have anything better to do, and I can do it now that he’s explained what needs to be done for optimum performance.”

“I didn’t realize you had such a high maintenance system.”

“Only the best,” Peter said, smiling. “Of course, our needs are specialized.”

Isaac knew that Peter needed to be able to hack in order to protect his pack. Individual hackers were often employed to delete, change, hide, or steal information to protect the supernatural community. Peter’s work prior to the fire had gotten him business from other packs. Now that he was back, he wanted to reclaim that work, but he needed the best possible equipment for it. It would take time to re-establish himself; more than a decade had passed since the fire, and he had been completely dormant for six of those years.

Isaac texted Kira, who had returned from Seoul, and they met up at eleven. The kitsune had moved into a small loft in a split-use building that was a mile from Isaac. It was in the opposite direction from Peter’s, and the suburbs where the McCall and Stilinski homes were. It had an industrial look that suited the contemporary fox. She’d gotten her hair cut and highlighted, making her appear even less like her wilder self.

“Hey, Sweetie.” She hugged Isaac warmly and welcomed him into her space.

“Looks good, I didn’t want to bring you a gift until I knew what you needed, but everything looks efficient.”

“I’m a whore for IKEA,” she said.

“Is it an okay time?”

“Yeah, let me show you the best part.” She took his hand and led him to the stairs, and they went down a floor to a nearly identical loft that was furnished with softer, neutral furniture. “Gifts from Peter,” she said with a smile. “I wouldn’t let him pay my rent on the loft upstairs, but this whole floor is business suites, so with my _new_ credentials, I’m opening up shop.”

Kira’s undergraduate degree had been in social work, and she’d been pursuing her master’s in it while working on political science as well. She’d wanted to work towards reforming the way children who end up in the state’s care were treated and cared for. She had to stay out of the public eye, now, since her new identity wouldn’t hold up to careful scrutiny.

“I would have been an LCSW by now, so Peter faked me a master’s in psychology. I’ll go back for my PhD and be a clinical psychologist, instead.” She proudly pointed to the little nameplate on the door. _Kira Yukimura, family and addiction counselor._

“That’s awesome!” Isaac hugged her.

“Well, people like us don’t really have many counselors they can be open-with. I’m not going to refuse any non-supernatural clients, but I’m advertising through special channels.”

“That’s great, do you have a couch, and a pair of reading glasses you can look over while I spill my guts?”

“If you want.” Kira paused in the doorway. “But you’ve been my pack for a while, so I didn’t want you to feel like you have to come here to have a conversation. But if you want, I can set up regular appointments with you.”

“You’ve helped me a lot, I’d love to be your first patient.”

Isaac and Kira chatted for almost two hours. Isaac was exhausted when he finished, but felt better. When she was in her clinical-mode, Kira was more direct and pointed with her questions, and more impersonal. Isaac felt like they’d made progress. More than just him unloading his feelings, actual progress felt like he had a little more control over his life. When he returned to the apartment, however, he stumbled on one of his biggest hurdles.

The sound of gentle sucking and the scent of sex hit Isaac, and he rolled his eyes. It was hardly the first time he’d been around the sex Stiles regularly had with one or both of his lovers. Isaac only smelled the dynamic between them on Stiles and occasionally Peter. The Omega was more likely to get in a quickie with either Alpha individually than together, and Isaac knew that Peter and Chris had a bi-weekly ‘date night’ that meant coming home smelling like sex, dirt, grass, and blood. The thought of those nights made him harder than the scent of Chris on Stiles, alone.

Perhaps it was the more vulnerable state after his session with Kira that made Isaac feel a little horny, but he tried to ignore it and went to his room. It wasn’t like the hum of the computers didn’t help mask the sounds, or that the trio was up against the walls, but when he closed his eyes, he could practically see what was happening, from the squeak of furniture, to the sounds the bodies made.

Stiles was on his knees, sucking Peter’s cock while the Alpha sat in his chair. Isaac listened as Chris unfastened Stiles’s belt and pants, to ease them down over his ass. They didn’t speak, probably for Isaac’s benefit, but he could hear Chris start fingering the Omega. His phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. He had a text from Brian asking if it was a good time for a call. He replied that it was, and waited.

Omegas could self-lubricate, and they tended to have more resilient anal tissue for taking knots, and having regular anal sex meant that you were used to it, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt _sometimes_. He felt his belly clench when Stiles let out a slight whimper and Chris whispered an apology. He _had_ to figure out a way to see Chris’s cock. Purely for curiosity’s sake. After fingering a regular sex partner, who happened to be an Omega, that cock was still a challenge.

Isaac half-listened as his roommate was opened up some more, eaten out a little, and then properly mounted and spit-roasted on the other side of the wall. His phone rang as Brian called and he answered.

“Your timing is perfect, Man.” He closed the door behind him and booked it down the stairs before Brian said anything incriminating that Peter or Chris could hear, but he’d waited so they didn’t think he was leaving because of them.

“Can you talk?”

“Let me just get outside, tell me about your week.”

“Neighbors have a newborn, so sleep’s been scarce. You?”

“Learning some self-defense. I have an acquaintance who knows a lot about that stuff, and he’s been teaching me twice a week.”

“That’s a good idea,” Brian said, approvingly. “Does he teach prevention stuff too?”

“Habits about awareness, how to spot predatory behavior, and remembering to lock my door. Actually, he’s been on me about locking my door for ages.”

“I can’t imagine not locking up here.”

“The building is fairly secure, and I grew up in the suburbs.” Isaac made it to the street and started walking, scanning his surroundings, like Chris taught him. “Okay, I think I’m far enough away, now.”

“When you emailed me this morning, I didn’t think I’d be able to schedule anyone on this short notice, but a few minutes ago, Ms. Manning called. She said that one of our private contractors had an opening in his schedule. Stewart can see you Thursday evening if you can get down here.”

“A private contractor?” The private contractors were legendary. None of the regulars knew who they were, or claimed not to know. They didn’t work directly for the club the way the house staff like Manning did. They were hired independently and worked in a different part of the building with private clients who paid a lot of money for specialty service. They did take referrals through the club, but it was rare that their prices could be met by the average person.

“Yeah, if I liked impact, I’d be seriously jealous. I’m emailing you the contract you’ll have to answer fairly quickly.”

“Yeah, I’ll do it.”

The contract was for a single session costing a thousand dollars. He signed electronically, and booked his flight.

~

Isaac knocked on Chris’s door at eight on Wednesday evening. When Chris opened the door, he had a smile on his face.

“Come on in.”

“Thanks.” Isaac ducked into the house. “Sorry for calling on short notice. I had plans, but they might be changing. Can you spare any of the aconite spray you used on me before?”

“I think so,” he said. “I’m not trying to pry, Isaac, but what’s your schedule. I might need to tailor the dosage for a longer or shorter time.”

“You make it yourself?” he asked, and Chris went still. “Right, you’d have to. It’s not like there’s a store made for faking a higher level of mortality.”

“Right, maybe there should be.” Chris looked a little more relaxed.

“Kira’s starting to do counseling specializing in supernatural creatures and their interpersonal relationships.” Isaac followed the older man down to the basement where he kept a lot of weapons locked in cages. The Omega’s eyes stung a little and he felt like he wanted to sneeze.

“I think we probably all have some baggage. It’s good that she wants to help people.”

“Yeah, she’s been great for me, so far.”

“This was originally used as a kind of repellent or mace,” Chris said, going to a locked cabinet near the far wall. “During roundups, we didn’t want to kill them, but train them to keep away from doors and gates, and people.”

“Whose idea was it to use it to pretend?”

“My Alpha uses it in medicine, she’s familiar with the dilution to make it safe for humans, but that dose is safe for us too.” He took out a small vial with yellow oil inside. “It loses potency fairly quickly, maybe good for a week before it starts to break down. Always better to keep it in an amber or non-opaque bottle.” He took it upstairs and Isaac followed him to the kitchen where he measured out some of the carrier oil, which was thin enough to pass through a spray nozzle in a fairly fine mist, he added a few drops of the aconite, and capped it with a sprayer.

“How do I apply it before I go out?”

“That’s the tricky part, you’ll need to hold off on your healing, and then spray it when you get back to your hotel. What days are you going for impact?”

“I’m meeting someone Ms. Manning is setting me up with tomorrow night,” he said. “He had an opening at the last minute, and she said he’d be good for me.”

“Are you okay with a man?” He saw Isaac look away. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be your counselor.”

“You said at one point you could be my friend and mentor. Did you mean for this?” He gestured to the bottle.

“If you mean keeping the marks from healing, yes. If you meant something deeper as far as the scene, I don’t think I’m the best choice.”

“I just…Ms. Manning had to struggle to get me there, and even with the aconite I still can’t let go all the way. I’d just really like to know if there’s someone like us who can work with me.” Isaac’s shoulders slumped.”

“I know a few, but I don’t think any of them tend to mix sex with impact or other things.” Chris was looking at him and he took a deep breath. “What is it, Isaac?”

“This isn’t something Peter needs to know, okay? It’s not about taking more risk, it’s about…me.”

“Okay.”

“Impact doesn’t turn me on, not directly.” He leaned back against the counter. “It’s about sex, but not sexual, at least not the way people think.”

“Tell me what it does for you.”

“It’s complicated, I don’t want to put this on you, like you have to solve it.”

“I accept the risk that I might need to give you emotional support, Isaac.”

“Sex is how I cope with my insecurity. Kira’s gotten me that far, at least. I keep it from getting out of hand by making rules for myself. Some of the rules are voluntary; I don’t do it as often in my own town, I save it up and let loose at the club.”

“It’s good that you’re drawing boundaries,” Chris said, still looking comfortable.

“The problem is that I need a lot of it before I feel…better. I’m starting to build up a tolerance, I guess.”

“The impact is related to that?”

“Yeah, I can’t really get into the right headspace with the sex if I haven’t first gone through my routine.”

“You can’t get deep enough with the impact to need less sex, right?”

“Not while I’m trying to hold back the healing.” He chewed his thumbnail. “I know I need to work on deeper stuff, and I am. But for now, this is the safest way I can get what I need.”

“Isaac, the last few years have been more than most people could stand. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to find out you were going to the club.” The man couldn’t have shocked him more if he’d said he liked wearing pink tutus. “Anyone who’s managed to come out the other side of what you have with his sanity intact has to have some kind of outlet. You were so calm, I worried that you were bottling everything up, or in denial.”

“Nope, just self-harming in the safest way possible.”

“I was far more self-destructive,” Chris said quietly.

“We’re all works in progress.”

~  
Isaac shared a ride with Brian again, and they went in together. Isaac saw Jason who was handing over his phone ahead of them. He didn’t try to get his attention, though and waited for Brian to check in. Isaac checked in and handed over his phone.

“I have a session booked with Stewart,” he said, and Brian gave him a smile and wave before walking into the main room.

“Isaac?” the girl asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, I have some paperwork for you, and I’ll let Ms. Manning know you’re here. She’ll walk you over.”

Isaac greeted Ms. Manning formally, since she was kitted out professionally. She let him follow her through the main room and through a door on the opposite side as the main hallway.

“This is where private sessions and more advanced play happens,” she said. It was a little quieter in this hallway, with low lights and the wall were deep gray, as opposed to the black walls and rave lights. The music was muffled from the other end of the building, but he could feel the beat. None of the rooms had windows, and they stopped at one near the end of the hall. “Stuart is one of our private coaches. I asked him personally if he’d work with you. He’s agreed to meet you, and if for some reason either of you feels uncomfortable, I’d still be happy to work with you again tonight.”

“Thanks, Ms. Manning.”

“You’re welcome, Isaac.” She opened the door and he walked inside. Stewart was sitting in a chair, but stood up when they came in.

“Good evening,” he said, taking Ms. Manning’s hand and kissing it. “Always a pleasure.”

“You too. This is Isaac.” They shook hands and greeted each other. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Isaac, I’ll see you later.”

“Thank you, Ms. Manning.” The door shut and Stewart smiled. “You could’ve said something at any point. Like last night.”

“When did you figure it out?”

“It wasn’t hard to guess what you do here, and your vinyl collection is mostly Rod Stewart.” Isaac put his hands on his hips. “Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

“I don’t do it back in Beacon Hills. I keep that part of my life separate from what I do here. Like you.”

“You could’ve denied me a membership.”

“I’d be a hypocrite. I need it as much as you do.”

“Okay, so that’s why you’re not Chris.”

“Don’t use that name down here at all. Chris is your friend, and your mentor and your teacher. Stewart is none of those things. Stewart isn’t anyone’s boyfriend, or father, or friend. It’s not a separate personality or anything like that, it’s a persona.”

“Okay, where’s the line for you?”

“I’m going to go over rules that are just for you and me. Then I’m going to step outside and ask you to get undressed and kneel on the floor. That’s the last time you see Chris here. When I come back, I’m Stewart. If you don’t want to meet him, don’t take off your clothes and kneel on the floor.”

“What’s Stewart going to do?”

“Stewart works with clients who need something different. Not everyone he works with is like you, so don’t make assumptions. They just need something else, and it varies. Stewart does something very dangerous, and there’s added risk.”

“What?”

“No safeword.” When he spoke, Isaac’s heart stumbled. The older man smiled widely. “That’s what I like to hear.” The smile wasn’t kind. “I can tell the difference between what hurts, and what hurts so good.”

“Always?”

“Everyone makes mistakes, but that’s the risk. I could be wrong, I could push you past what you want.”

“This doesn’t sound like it follows safe. Sane, and consensual.”

“It doesn’t.” The pale blue eyes were cold. “This is not a healthy behavior. This is not the behavior that’s practiced by healthy people.”

“I don’t know if this is a game for you or not.” Isaac backed up a step. “I-I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” He wanted this. He wanted it so much, but he was afraid to trust someone. He’d trusted Duke, and Duke had done what he’d said he would do, but he hadn’t drawn the line soon enough to keep Isaac from being traumatized.

“It’s not a game, Isaac. What happens in here, between you and me, is nothing like what’s happening out in the other rooms.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Stewart’s going to hurt you. He’s going to hurt you to the point that a human would have to go to the hospital. He’s not going to follow the rules, he’s not going to stop when you say stop. He’s going to keep going until he thinks _he’s_ done enough.”

“What’s he going to do?”

“Whatever he wants. His routine varies on what’s needed.”

“I want it. I want to do it.”

“I’m stepping outside, I’m going to take a walk, a little breather. You can go use the bathroom, splash water on your face, I’ll be back in here in ten minutes. When the door closes, Stewart’s going to stop listening. You last chance to change your mind will be when the door opens after our ten minute break.”

“Okay.”

“You need to understand something, Isaac. What we’ve been doing on our little practice sessions is nothing compared to what’s going to happen to you in here.”

“Is that why you’ve been kicking my ass in ten different ways without really teaching me how to defend myself?”

“I’m not answering any more questions. Take off your clothes and kneel on the floor in front of the cross.”

The door opened and closed, and Isaac was alone. He stood up and started to get undressed, but then he realized he didn’t know how long he’d be there, so he went down the hall to the bathroom. It was empty and sterile-looking, which was surprising considering the condition of the bathroom on the other side. This one also had a bathtub/shower combo. He used it and washed his hands and face, giving his pits a quick sniff, too.

When he got back inside, he looked at the room itself. He hadn’t seen anything in detail but Chris. The man had looked exactly the same as he always did, in black jeans, black shirt, blank expression. Except when he’d smiled. Isaac took off his shirt and unfastened his belt as he looked at the bench, the cabinet on the wall and the cross. He wasn’t sure how a werewolf could be held by leather and regular wood, and Chris couldn’t use Mountain ash the way Stiles could. He took off his shoes and pants and folded his clothes, putting them next to the wall on top of his shoes. He knelt on the floor and waited. It wasn’t long before the door opened. He’d been facing the wall, but started to turn around.

“Eyes on the wall.” The voice was different. Deeper, quieter, but it carried with some deeper vibration. “If I ask you a direct question, you’ll call me Sir.” Isaac didn’t say anything. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.” The door closed and then there was the clink of a lock being turned and the louder click of a deadbolt being thrown. There was no leaving now, and Isaac felt a trickle of fear run down his spine. _This might be real._


	5. Just a sting and a burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW at the end

Isaac followed Stewart’s orders and stood up at the cross, facing it. His wrists, knees and ankles were bound to the cross with thick, leather straps. There was a hinge and a low, flat table attached to the cross, so that it could be tilted forward at varying degrees, and even laid flat. He thought about what he would say when Stewart finished. Everything he did to cope helped a little, and even Ms. Manning, who’d given him some of his best experiences was still only scratching the surface. He was used to feeling hollow and disappointed when he went looking for something. He kept hoping that he’d find someone who-

The first blow landed, and Isaac jumped. He’d been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed the man going to the cupboard. From the feel of it, he guessed he was using a short, thick, leather strap that was wider than a belt and attached to a handle. Stewart didn’t waste time with a warm-up.

“Don’t hold back the healing, we’ve got all night, and I’ll eventually overload it.”

“Yes, Sir.” Isaac tried to keep the skepticism from his voice. The first session with Ms. Manning had been the best, mainly because he hadn’t been expecting much and she’d exceeded those. The subsequent quick, overnight trips he’d taken to L.A. to meet her privately had been good, and they’d been better than any other methods he’d tried, but he knew, he just _knew_ it could be better. As blow after blow struck him, he started to feel it, and closed his eyes. The very top surface of the Omega’s skin was sensitive to sensation, but with impact play, a few blows made it go numb, like the ‘stick and burn’ of a shot of lidocaine before the nerves went dead.

An hour into the beating, the pain began to feel good. Stewart was something else. Tireless in his attention, he kept his strikes clean, hard, and relentless. They moved over Isaac’s back in a rotating patten to cover from his shoulders to the tops of his thighs. He’d been healing periodically; he could feel the coolness of capillaries repairing themselves and the vanishing of the heat of blood under his skin. It had been a few minutes since that had happened and Stewart stopped and went to the cabinet, returning with a bullwhip.

Isaac blinked the sweat out of his eyes and watched dispassionately as Stewart ignored him, just walking back behind him where the younger man couldn’t see, and began again. The sharp, burning bite of the bullwhip was good. He’d had it a few times, but never wielded with the tireless strength of a werewolf. He started to relax into his bonds and let go twenty-minutes into the whipping. He was pretty sure the scent of his own blood soothed him more than anything else. He felt a rivulet of it skate a burning path down his spine and eventually down the crack of his ass. The tickling sensation combined with the burn of the open welts seemed to light up his nervous system and he opened his eyes, feeling like every detail of the room was in sharp relief.

The scent of fresh blood, sweat, leather, and wood were prominent in Isaac’s nose, but there was something faint underneath. It was deep in the other scents, not like it was hiding, but like it had been rising slowly over time. _Arousal._ Stewart was aroused, either by Isaac, or by inflicting pain. Isaac didn’t care at that point. He had the sweetest burn going on and he felt loose, relaxed and horny. At that point he started in with the cane.

Isaac didn’t scream unless he wanted to. He’d learned early on that some bullies liked noise. They liked feeling _effective_ , so Isaac had learned to bear pain in silence. Ten minutes into the caning, he started to scream, five minutes after that, he started to beg.

“Please stop, Sir! Please, I don’t need any more!”

“It’s not always about you, Isaac.” His voice sounded jovial. “Other people have needs too, you know.” Stewart’s arousal had gotten sharper when the begging started.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered.

“About what?” Stewart’s voice cut in between the blows of the cane. “What are you sorry for, Isaac? Are you sorry about telling people you’re okay? Are you sorry that you’ve been saying you’re self-harming in the safest way possible?”

“You’re the one who-Ah! You’re the one who said no safe-words, Sir.” He flinched as the cane landed on the tops of his thighs. He braced himself for the next blow, but instead, Stewart was right behind him, mouth beside his ear.

“I know what you do out in the woods, Isaac.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for under-negotiated impact that goes far beyond what is safe for humans.


	6. Bedside Manner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for BDSM stuff that is not safe, sane, and consensual.

Isaac stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and hunched his shoulders forward. He wore a baseball cap low, and a scarf around his neck. It was almost seventy degrees but windy, so he hoped it didn’t make him stick out too much. He’d had to drive almost forty minutes to get to the strip mall that was walking distance to the picnic area where he was headed. He didn’t want to hit the same place too many times in a row, or the regulars would start to recognize him. He knew he was in the right place before he climbed the hill to the spot where the tables were set out in a grid pattern.

Even before he could hear any sounds, Isaac could smell the used condoms that littered the tall grass. Once he crested the top of the hill, the swishy sound of the breeze in the grass couldn’t hide the soft, wet sounds of sex, at least not from werewolf ears. He circled the outside of the copse of trees, he liked to think of it as window shopping, and did some calculations in his head. Renee was working until closing at the pub where he liked to sit and pretend to watch sporting events, and he wanted to sit and chat with her. He’d need to suck at least three dicks before he could do it, so he scanned for the likeliest candidates. If he’d been able to get down to L.A. for another session with Ms. Manning, he wouldn’t have to do this, but if he didn’t he’d be jumping out of his skin at the thought of Renee’s sweet smile.

The first pick was a guy in jeans and a cap who was so tense and hostile he _loomed_ even when he was leaning against a tree: closeted soldier with anger management. Isaac wove through the trees and made sure to make some noise as he approached. He knew the guy was packing, because after weeks of training with Argent, he knew the difference between fresh and old gun oil. He pushed thoughts of the older man out of his head and waited while the soldier took his dick out and stroked it a few times. This wasn’t the kind of place where you bothered being shy.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Isaac dropped to his knees and let the guy push into his mouth. He was rough, but trying to pretend he wasn’t. Isaac knew the type. He’d hold back until he was close to coming, and then he’d ram his dick in as far as it could go. He wasn’t wrong in his assessment and he tried to ignore what the guy was whispering under his breath.

“Fucking take it you dirty slut. Yeah, you love that. You fucking love to suck dick, don’t you? Love to shake your ass around and get guys to go home with you.” He probably didn’t intend for Isaac to hear him, but it was clear enough. Isaac pulled off him and felt the guy’s hand tighten on his neck, like he was about to force him down.

“Cut the chatter Mcclellan, I’m not your therapist.” Isaac knew the guy was tightly wound, but wasn’t expecting a slap to the face when he mentioned the name of the closest air force base.

“Shut up and finish me off, you little cunt.” Isaac did. He went right back to it and let the guy ram his cock in hard and fast. He didn’t swallow, but stood up.

“Thought that was your thumb till you came,” he said with a grin. He was taller than the soldier by half a foot. He could see the guy balling up his fist. “Run along and jerk off while thinking about beating the shit out of me, it’s definitely not going to happen.” The soldier took off after a few nasty words that actually had another guy stepping forward and telling him to chill out. “You’re playing my song,” Isaac said, turning to the guy who’d spoken up. “My dad used to say that when I was five.”

“You want to call me Daddy?” the guy asked. He was older, but confident enough to shrug off the casual insult.

“I don’t want to be able to call you anything,” Isaac replied, slinking over with his head tilted to the side. He went to his knees again and noted the decent dad-bod. He wrinkled his nose because he could tell the guy had hugged two kids, around nine and twelve judging by the places on his shirt where their faces had rubbed, less than an hour earlier. Having kids wasn’t a sin, but leaving them and the woman who’d kissed him on the cheek in order to be there was pathetic. It might work better for Isaac, however, so he just breathed “Daddy,” once and the guy groaned as he jerked himself hard. He offered to return the favor after Isaac sucked him off, but the younger man declined.

There wasn’t much of a crowd, but a guy in a trucker cap, who actually looked like he was a trucker, had been watching Isaac since he’d arrived. He didn’t want to seem too eager, because he was realistic enough to know that young guys who looked like him were rarely desperate to get cock. He picked low-hanging fruit because it was easy, and because he hadn’t earned anything better yet.

“Where do you go to school?” The guy asked. Isaac froze, and the man smiled. “Should you be out this late on a school night.”

“You wish,” he replied, but dropped to his knees anyway. He hated himself for making a guy like that come, but looking sixteen meant the guy was marginally less of a demon than if Isaac could pass for twelve, and this wasn’t a spot where younger guys usually went. When he was finished, the guy put a hand on the back of his neck.

“My rig’s parked behind the store,” he said. “It’s real nice if you want to come check it out.”

“Nope.”

“I want that ass, Kid.”

“Not happening.” He started to walk by, but the man gripped his arm.

“Is it your first time? I’m really gentle.”

“You ever been with someone under fifteen?”

“Of course not.” The guy answered too quickly, and Isaac broke both of his arms when he walked with him back to his rig. He knocked him out, scratched his face and unbuckled his belt. He made an anonymous phone call from his burner phone and hung up right before he started to cry. He made it onto the main road before he completely broke down, but continued to drive for two more block before he stopped and opened his door to throw up.

Renee was wearing a sage colored blouse that washed out her skin a little bit, but made her green eyes look bright. She smiled at Isaac and waved him to a two-top.

“I still have to clean it, but we’ll be getting a crowd from after the concert soon, and you won’t get a table, then.”

“Thanks, Renee.” She paused beside him and he kissed her cheek. “I’d hate to miss out.” He slid into a chair and waited until she returned to wipe it down before asking her about her day.

“Not bad, you?” She always steered the conversation back to her customers. She was a good server who knew that people were generally self-centered, and nobody was really interested in the staff.

“How’s Rudy?” He liked the way the crinkles next to her eyes got a little deeper with surprise and happiness.

“Much better. I brought him home from the vet’s yesterday.” She had a dog that she talked about, a medium-sized mutt with a hip problem. “What can I get you?”

“What’s smells so good, besides your perfume?”

“You’re a smooth operator,” she batted at him, playfully, “you’re so sweet. The kitchen made lamb stew this morning, the staff have all been ‘sampling’ it, so I think that’s your best bet.”

“Any bread?”

“I can rustle up a few rolls. Usual draft?”

“You’re an angel.”

~

Present

“How often were you doing it before you went to the club?” Stewart was still hitting Isaac with the cane, but he’d slowed down a bit. “You were pretty close to the truth when you said you use sex to deal with your issues, but you also said you save it up for the club.”

“No, I told you that I limit myself,” Isaac gasped. “It’s true, and it’s only when-” He hissed when another blow came.

“Keep talking.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I didn’t come here to talk.” He was breathing heavily. “How long have you been following me around?”

“A while.”

“Nothing better to do? Did Peter put you up to it?”

“Peter doesn’t know. He’s got too much on his plate to worry about you.” Stewart chuckled. “He’s smart enough to know you’re a sub, and you like to take a whack.”

“You guys talk about me a lot.” He got a smart rap on his ass. “Sir.”

“I won’t let him lose anyone else, Isaac. If this is how you need to heal, that works for me.”

“You’re a real benevolent force, Sir.”

“I never said that.” Isaac heard the sound of Stewart unbuckling his belt and at first he thought he was going to get struck by the leather, but then he heard the rasp of the zipper and his whole body tensed up.

“No. No, I don’t want that,” he said.

“It’s not just about you, Isaac.” Stewart’s voice was chilly. “Tell me what your equation is.” He stepped forward and placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “How do you know when it’s enough?” He heard the slick sound of a hand on flesh.

“There’s a waitress,” he yelped as he felt the man’s fist bump his ass as his hands stroked upwards. He was standing right behind him, and strapped open and vulnerable, it would be easy for him to just stick it in the Omega’s ass. “She-she makes me feel normal.” The hand squeezed. “She doesn’t know anything about me, and I met her after I started going to the club up here. I can’t act…normal around her without _something._ Don’t! Please, Sir!” He was crying.

“You fucking her?”

“No! It’s not like that, Sir. She talks to me like-like family.”

“Like a mother?”

“No, like a sister, or an aunt. But she doesn’t know about school,” he sobbed as he could hear the older man’s breath getting faster and harsher. “She doesn’t know about my dad, or my family, or Duke. She doesn’t know how fucked up I am.”

“You go and suck off older guys in order to feel normal.”

“Not older.” He sniffled and continued when he heard Stewart stop. “They’re scumbags. Desperate, married, closeted, usually violent. They’re the guys who can’t match on Grindr or can’t pick someone up at a club.”

“You like them?”

“No. They make my skin crawl.” Isaac wanted to throw up.

“What about when you see Ms. Manning? What about your hookups at the club?”

“A good visit with Ms. Manning means I can see Renee for two weeks. I go for lunch or dinner twice a week. No more than that, Sir, I swear.” He felt Stewart’s hand squeeze his shoulder and he tensed up as the Alpha dragged his short nails down the welts in his back. He shivered.

“You’re so far gone you’ve forgotten you can heal,” he whispered and swiped his hand down the sweaty, half-tacky blood. Isaac heard him start jerking off again with the same hand and realized he was using Isaac’s fluid to slick himself up. He stepped close and clamped a hand on the back of the Omega’s neck, pushing his head down. With his knees and legs spread, Isaac going do nothing except cry as Steward came, spurting hot fluid over his stinging ass. “Meet Chris on Monday to make up for missing tomorrow. No excuses.” He loosened the straps enough for Isaac to get himself free the rest of the way. He felt the tingle of his skin recovering from the beating, and Stewart sprayed him with aconite to stop the process before he healed completely.

“Thanks,” Isaac whispered.

“Don’t thank me. You paid for my services.” He handed Isaac a robe. “Go to the bathroom, take a shower, get cleaned up and leave the robe in there, someone will get it. Take your clothes with you, get dressed, and then use the door at the far end, follow the sign, and someone will let you into the main part of the building. Fuck yourself stupid if you want. Chris will see you next Friday.”

The music seemed a little louder when Isaac slipped into the main part of the building. Compared to the quiet, neutral environment he’d just left, it was almost obnoxious. He felt numb at first, but as he started pushing through the crowd of bodies and the cloud of sex, he felt lighter and found himself smiling at familiar faces. Jason caught his hand and he hugged the big man. They chatted, briefly and then hit the group room together. Midnight found Isaac deep in the ass of a fifty-year-old guy. The man was on his back on a table, with his head hanging over the edge and taking a large cock, balls deep, in his throat. The other two guys were together, and just wanted someone else for the spit roast.

The guy getting head was holding his partner’s legs up and back while Isaac rammed him hard. He could feel how close the guy was and aimed for his prostate, holding down his arms, as instructed, until the guy came in short, heavy spurts. Isaac pulled out, took off the condom, and jerked himself over the guy’s chest. He bade them both farewell and went to wash his hands. In the bathroom, he stretched his bruised and damaged muscles with satisfaction. From down the hall, he could hear a little bit of a commotion as one of the role-playing rooms started to heat up.

Ralphie was standing by the door wearing a Billy club and a Bobby helmet. He lifted his chin in greeting to Isaac and leaned back when Isaac stood behind him and rested his hands companionably on the slighter man’s shoulders.

“Wot’s all this then?” he asked, and Ralphie snickered.

“The costume or the show?”

“Both.”

“I met some friends earlier for a Mary Poppins-thing.” He shrugged. “I didn’t do much, but you should’ve seen what happened with the umbrella.” He nodded at the room. “They’re setting up for a breeding fantasy.”

“I didn’t think they did those here.” Condoms were a must at the club.

“They’re faking the cum. The group comes here a lot, you’ve probably seen them do the ‘camping’ thing, and they like to do elaborate staging, and this location is pretty good for everyone. Unfortunately, they had some kind of transportation snafu so they’re looking for a few volunteers to do some Were-play.” Isaac’s belly tightened.

“Were-play?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure what the scenario is, but it’s probably your average relief-Beta scene.”

Isaac was aware of the growing popularity of this emasculating role-play following a documentary about it. The thought creeped him out, but it wasn’t triggering.

“You doing it?”

“I don’t love topping, but the right situation can inspire me,” Ralphie replied. “What about you?”

“Not my thing.” He walked down the hall, feeling the noise a little more than usual, and considering finding a partner who might want to go one-on-one in a room with him. Ralphie stayed to watch the stable scene and Jason was ‘top’ mood tonight, so Isaac started looking around for a potential one-on-one. He found one of the unused rooms with a very romantic-looking bedroom set, and a woman in a long, velvet gown. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not if you’d like to fuck me.”

“What do you need?”

Isaac spent a very pleasurable two hours as a warlord who had conquered Lady Isabelle’s knights, and then, Lady Isabelle herself. He enjoyed the quiet of being in the single room with the door shut, the isolation from the rest of the crowd made things pleasantly intimate. Lady Isabelle’s fantasy had been for Isaac to dominate her with rough sex, oral, vaginal, and anal. She’d been very pleased when he’d managed to tear her gown down the front on the first try. Afterwards, she told him that people don’t expect such good stitching.

“I make the costumes myself, putting in the effort makes it even more satisfying to let them go.”

“I’m happy to rip coverings off such nice, breasts,” Isaac replied, cuddling her in the frilly bed. A beeping sound from under the pillows surprised them both.

“That’s my thirty minute warning,” she said, stretching, languidly. She ran a hand over his front and looked surprised when he started to get hard again. “Your refractory period is nonexistent.”

“I’m in my early twenties,” he said with a shrug, “and the view is nice.”

“What do you think you can do in twenty-five minutes?” Since he’d made her come twice over the course of ninety minutes, she said he could get off in any orifice he wanted. She started by sucking him until he was rock hard, and then he lubed up her ass, put her down on her face, and prone-boned her till he came. It only took twenty minutes, and he helped her clean up afterwards. It was just after Midnight when he found Brian and let him know he was leaving.

“So early?”

“Got what I needed, I’m pretty tired.”

“How was…earlier?”

“Great. Feeling amazing.” He did feel amazing. The sex had the same kind of satisfaction that it usually did, but he found himself feeling more affection and gratitude towards his partners. Previously, he’d reminded himself that everyone was there to get what they needed, and that it was just mutually beneficial contact, but tonight he felt a little more connected to a group with whom he was becoming more familiar. He really noticed tonight how close some of the regulars were, and as he left he heard little snippets of conversations that revealed the care and attention that all of the couples and groups gave each other.

Ralphie smelled like sex and satisfaction when he left the room where the breeding fantasy had been setting up earlier.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself.” Isaac accepted a quick hug from the man. “How was it?”

“Still going on.” He nodded and Isaac tried to look surprised, as if he couldn’t hear the sounds clearly. It just started about a half-hour ago. I think it’s ending soon.”

Isaac looked in and saw a lean, muscular man bent at the waist with his head and wrists in breeding stocks. A larger man in a Were-play mask was pounding him from behind. He finished, stepped back, and let a man in overalls step forward with a knotting dildo.

“Gonna breed you up good, little Omega.” Isaac felt Brian’s hand come down on his shoulder.

“Hey, you probably don’t want this room,” he said, quietly.

“I’m okay,” he lied. He watched while the ‘farmer’ pushed the dildo inside and started ramming it in and out, until he pushed the knot in, and squeezed a pump on the end.

“Your Alpha’s gonna fill you up like a good bitch, and breed you up!”

Isaac turned around and left, declining Brian’s offer of company. He went back to his hotel, not as snobby as the first one, but still nice enough to have twenty-four-hour room service. He requested some desserts and a bottle of champagne. As fun as gifting his Alpha the over-priced minibar snacks had been, it still made him cringe as a guy who’d grown up middle-class. He showered and then stuffed his face with sugar and fizzy wine that couldn’t get him drunk. He picked up his phone on a whim.

_To Argent C-Do you have aconite that can be injected or ingested for temporary reduction in healing? Don’t answer if you’re already in bed. This can wait till tomorrow._

_Argent C- You really don’t want to risk it just to get drunk. There are problems with interactions sometimes. Ask Peter for some of his special wine when you get back._

_To Argent C- Why are you up?_ It was nearly two.

_Argent C-I’m not._

Isaac put the phone away, brushed his teeth and wished he hadn’t made plans to go back to the club the following night. He wasn’t sure why he was so bothered by the fantasy. He hadn’t been an Omega for very long, or at least he hadn’t known about it, so he didn’t have the same history with it as Stiles and the way people fetishized him. He changed his ticket and flew back the following morning. He knew Peter wouldn’t be around, because he’d just left for South America in an attempt to find Cora. He’d taken Boyd and Erica with him for the experience.

Isaac had his ear pods in and was listening to soothing music when he walked into the apartment, certain that with Chris in L.A. and Peter gone, that there were limited things he could walk in on. He dropped his stylish, leather, weekender bag on the floor as he realized how wrong he was. Derek didn’t seem to notice him, and the white-knuckled grip he had on the couch cushions backed up that theory. His whole body was rigid with tension, and there was an underlying scent of several days of pain underneath the thick, Alpha pheromones. He boned up in his jeans just from being hit with the thick cloud of repressed arousal.

“You could have texted,” Isaac snarled, kicking his bag through the living room. He stomped down the hall, picked up the bag and shut himself in his bedroom. He was lying down for about ten seconds before he erupted from the room again. “What the fuck, Derek?” The Alpha’s eyes rolled crazily and from between his legs, head hidden by Derek’s jeans, Stiles held up a finger for patience, but didn’t stop what he was doing. The Omega wolf waited, leaning against the wall, trying not to smell the pheromones while Stiles groped for a soft, plastic tube.

Derek’s knees were up, and his jeans and underwear were at mid-thigh. His toes were curled, and Isaac could hear his teeth grinding with effort. Curiosity won out over irritation and he moved closer. He could see Derek’s red, hard cock sticking up, and Stiles seemed to be working on the Alpha’s balls. His head prevented Isaac from getting a clear view, but he thought the other Omega was licking or sucking them. The scent was a little familiar, the thick scent of sex along with discomfort, and it clicked.

“Are you knot-blocked?” he asked. Stiles gave a thumb’s up, and Derek just kept sweating. “Sorry, Man.” He went and got an apple from the bowl on the table and bit into it as he watched the show.

“Do…you…have…to…watch?” gasped Derek, giving him a sour look.

“Did you have to sleep in my bed and stink it up with your repressed sexual desires?” Isaac asked in return. “I’ve been gone for only a few days, and it’s like you did nothing but roll naked in my room.”

“Is he serious?” Stiles’s red, sweaty face popped up.

“Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Derek said, clutching at Stiles’s head and trying to push it back down to his balls. “Please don’t stop.”

“Okay, I know I’m not the expert here, but why aren’t you doing the prostate thing that you did at the shelter?”

“It’s complicated,” Stiles replied, but pushed Derek’s legs up and went back to town on his balls.

“Almost there,” Derek grunted after another few minutes of testicular love. The Alpha grabbed the plastic sleeve and fumbled a little before getting the end over the tip of his angry-looking erection. “Don’t stop, I’m close!” Derek worked the base of his dick and squeezed to stop his knot from swelling. He shot a massive load of jizz into the bag, but his expression was pained rather than blissful. Stiles got up stiffly, and stretched, rubbing his lower back, and the back of his neck.

“How long did that take?” Isaac asked.

“Twenty-five minutes,” Stiles replied, glaring at Derek. He went to the fridge, grabbed the bottled nutrient and preservative mix they used and added it to the collection bag. He sealed the bag and put it inside. “I’m taking it over to Deaton’s to be tested and graded.”

“Is it for your friend?”

“Yeah, Danny said the market’s currently saturated with over-priced garbage. He said he can’t find anything that’s decent quality, even if he pays more.”

“That sucks, because it means the smaller operations that treat the Weres humanely are going under.” Isaac frowned and looked over at Derek who was gingerly zipping up his jeans. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Sorry. I’ll wash your sheets.” Derek slumped out of the living room and went into Isaac’s bedroom.

“What happened?” Isaac asked.

“I guess it’s been building up, but Derek said he woke up with some pain, and it got worse as the day progressed.”

“Why didn’t you use the previous method?” Isaac gestured with two fingers. “I thought that worked with all Alphas.”

“It’s why he didn’t ask for help earlier,” Stiles said, frowning. “I guess it reminds him too much of when he was in the shelter. I told him I could do it another way and he agreed to _let_ me help him.”

“He could have just gone to the doctor’s”

“I know, I guess I still feel kind of guilty.”

“Yeah, he knows that.”

“Right.” Stiles turned around. “You’re a manipulative asshole, Derek.” They saw Derek slink out of Isaac’s bedroom with his sheets. He went back a few minutes later with a clean set. “The laundry room’s over there, don’t hoard his dirty sheets.”

“I didn’t even notice,” Isaac said as he passed his own bedroom with a red-faced Derek re-making the bed. He went to the Alpha’s bedroom and found the sheets bundled under his pillows. “What the Hell, Derek?”

“Sorry.”

“What does this kind of behavior even mean, Stiles?” The other Omega had followed him and stood in the doorway. “Derek, come in here when you’re done. I’m searching your room.”

“Closet,” Derek mumbled. Stiles didn’t hear it, of course, but Isaac went to the closet and opened it up. “Sorry,” he said again when Stiles gasped.

“Not cool.” Derek had a laundry basket full of purloined clothing. Mostly Stiles’s but some of Isaac’s as well. “Derek, what are you doing with this stuff?” The sad Alpha came to the bedroom door looking ashamed.

“I don’t know. It’s a compulsion, I think. I get…upset when you guys leave overnight.” His face was scarlet. “I know, logically that you’re coming back. I just can’t sleep.”

“Logic rarely applies with compulsions.” Stiles went from angry to concerned very quickly. “What were you thinking letting your knot block get that bad?”

“I was hoping to stick it out till Isaac got back.”

“Why me?”

“Stiles was the one usually doing it when I got blocked up at the shelter. I just didn’t want to remember that.”

“Which is why I offered to use another approach.”

“I should’ve just gone to the doctor’s office.” He frowned. “I should’ve been donating regularly, anyway. Deaton’s done a lot for me.”

“You don’t owe him anything.”

“That’s what he keeps saying,” Derek smiled. “At least my knot block load can help pay for the security upgrades, right?”

“Okay, as a Were-specialist, I’m gonna recommend you empty out the pipes at least three more times in the next eight hours,” Stiles said. “I can say with certainty that Deaton could use it with Peter and Chris gone, but if you’re really not comfortable with it, you don’t have to.”

“It’s okay. Your friend’s pretty nice.” Derek’s mouth crept up at the corner. “He seemed kind of…into me.”

“Anyone who likes men is into you, Derek. It’s the curse of being perfect,” Isaac smiled when he said it. “Maybe if you gave him a call, he could help you drain the pipes.”

“I’m not ready for that,” Derek shook his head.

“You’ll provide essence to treat his Bell’s palsy, but you won’t talk to him?” Stiles looked incredulous.

“Baby steps.”

Stiles texted Danny and let him know they were testing a new producer for grade and quality, but that he’d probably have some for him the next day. The tech whiz was pleased, and sent virtual kisses. Stiles went to Deaton’s for testing and left Isaac and Derek alone.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked. “I can tell you’re hurting.”

“Only in the best ways,” he tried to smile. “Except for the part where some people had an Omega Were breeding fantasy they were acting out in one of the specialty rooms.”

“Are there any Alphas there?”

“I’ve only met one or two so far.”

“So, nobody had a knot?”

“Nope, they had to use a dildo.”

“Did you have a good time otherwise?”

“Yeah, there was a cool Medieval fantasy where I got to rip off a velvet gown.” He shrugged and looked at his feet. “She seemed like she had a really good time.”

“Was she the one who did impact?”

“No, one of the pros. I need a little more than the average amateur can dish out.” He tried to use a tone that indicated the subject was closed, but he was less effective than John or Chris.

“What do you need from them?”

“Not up for discussion.” He could see the hurt on Derek’s face. “This isn’t something I want to share with the pack. I’d like you to respect my privacy on this, Derek.” He didn’t have to add, _like you didn’t when you embarrassed me by telling Stiles I had a crush on Chris,_ because he could see on the Alpha’s face that he was understood. “We talked about this when you were in pre-rut. I don’t know if you remember or not, but I told you then I don’t want to talk about why I go there.”

“Okay.”

“As far as your separation anxiety, I know it’s not your fault, but it’s still your responsibility. You need to start talking to someone about it.”

“I don’t know Kira.”

“I didn’t say it has to be Kira.” He ran a hand over Derek’s hair and the Alpha moved into his touch. “I can’t pretend I understand what’s going on with you, and I’m used to pack behavior so it doesn't bother me. You’re not hurting anyone, but this is for you to fix, not for Stiles to tolerate.”

“I’ll talk to Peter when he gets back.”

Isaac drove Stiles to his Omega appointment for a follow-up with Dr. Lopez. He didn’t meet her, but he saw her, briefly in the corridor. He thought she was quite pretty, and somewhat young-looking, but she had a stiffness in her posture that didn’t exactly scream _bedside manner_.

~

“How’s it going, Stiles?” Dr. Lopez asked

“Okay. I have a neuro follow-up in a few _months_.” Stiles tried not to be sarcastic, but she just smiled at him.

“I know it can be frustrating to wait.” She put on gloves and put her hand on his shoulder while checking his eyes carefully, and then his balance and reflexes. She talked to him about his appetite and how he’d been coping without his ADHD meds.

“I was a zombie for several days, and it’s been harder to stay focused which makes me anxious in case it’s the concussion and not just the ADHD.”

“How’s work going?”

“Okay, I’m doing some freelance stuff. Mostly research and IT support, but I’m limited by the screen time.”

“How’s the magnesium?”

“I think it’s helping; I think I’m having fewer migraines, but sometimes I’ll get several in a week.”

“Do you ever get a massage?”

“No, I hate lying still.”

“Some places will do shorter session. You might want to try getting one regularly, or trying some things to relieve your neck muscles. The concussion is most likely the trigger, but other things can contribute, so if we try and eliminate those things, you might have better luck.”

“Massage, huh?”

“Unless you’ve had a migraine within twenty-four hours, or you’re having warning signs like fatigue and visual disturbances, because the increased blood flow from the massage can make a migraine worse.” She gave him a vague smile. “Great for a prevention, not so great for a cure.”

“Okay. I’ll look into it.”

“We talked about your depression last time. How are you feeling?”

“Better.” He answered quickly and then thought about it. “I don’t trust my own judgement as much. I had those delusions that felt so real, I still doubt myself.”

“Have you started taking essence? You mentioned it last time.”

“Sometimes, but the supply isn’t great right now, I kind of feel guilty taking it when there are people who need it more.”

“I thought your workplace burned down, and the shelter closed.”

“Yes,” he was surprised by her sharp look.

“But you still have Alphas?”

“No. Why do you think I have an Alpha?” He looked at her curiously. “I said it didn’t feel right to take essence when the supply is low, how does that translate to having a secret Alpha stash?” He raised his brows. “I don’t actually sell it.”

“My mistake,” she said, smiling. “I must’ve misunderstood.”

“I also didn’t mention taking essence the last time I was here, because in all the time I worked at the shelter, I never took our product, or bought it from anywhere else.”

“It’s helpful to concussions,” she said, quickly. "I think I must’ve assumed you did because you milked Alphas.”

“I didn’t say that, either. I said I worked at a shelter with Alphas.” She had some of the spray in her hand, the one she said would hide his Omega scent. “No.” he reached out quickly and caught the hand that was holding the bottle. She’d taken off the glove and jerked away.

“You said your job got blown up and an FBI agent died. It was on the news. Since the shelter sells essence, and you worked with Alphas, I jumped to another conclusion. I’m sorry, Mr. Stilinski.”

“I’m leaving, Dr. Lopez. Have a nice day.” Stiles started to walk out, but paused and held out his hand. “It was nice seeing you again.” She stared at his hand and he smiled widely before tucking the other one-the one with which he’d touched her hand-and walked out. He didn’t speak out loud until he got to the waiting room. He smiled at Isaac and scratched his ear.

“Hey,” Isaac said, standing up to greet him. He glanced behind Stiles and had a strange look on his face before relaxing into a smile.

“Let’s go.”

“Don’t you need a follow-up?”

“I’ll call to schedule it.” He sighed. “I think my paranoia is getting the best of me. I should probably apologize to the doctor.” He followed Isaac and got into the car without a backward glance. “How often do you smell Weres on people. Just in day-to-day life?”

“It’s about as common as I run into people who own horses, or work in barns.” He steered Derek’s Camaro onto the street. “Whoever your doctor is, she was very nervous when you left, and when you said that you needed to apologize to her, she calmed down.”

“She could hear me.”

“It seems that way.” He looked at Stiles when the human took his hand out of his pocket. “What?”

“Smell my hand.”


	7. Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Isaac helping each other out.

“Fuck off.”

“She was wearing gloves just to touch my shoulder when I was fully dressed. She also tried to spray me with that stuff that Derek said neutralized other people’s scents. I touched her hand after she washed it.” Isaac nodded. “Well?”

“You don’t need to hold it under my nose, I can smell it from here.”

“Okay.”

“She must put something in the soap because I can barely smell that you touched anyone at all.”

When they got back to the apartment, the Omegas found it empty. Isaac felt a little guilty in case Derek had left because he’d been upset or embarrassed. Peter called them at lunch time and they both chatted with the Alpha on speakerphone about Brazil and Erica and Boyd.

“They’re definitely _enjoying_ themselves,” he said with the long-suffering tone of a parent who had made the mistake of taking children on vacation.

“How’s the search going?”

“Mostly dead ends. I think the best I’ll be able to do here is leave a trail for her if she has any contacts in the area. How are you guys doing?”

“Fine,” Stiles said, before Isaac could mention Dr. Lopez.

“Yeah,” Isaac said, quickly. “Derek’s not here right now or we’d drag him out of his room to chat with you.”

“I’ll call him later. How did your appointment go?”

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t with neuro, so she just asked me about my concussion symptoms and how I’m adjusting to being off my ADHD meds.” Isaac was impressed with the way Stiles omitted the sketchy behavior of the doctor without breaking a sweat, but he told the truth, so his cardiac rhythm didn’t falter. “I’m fine till my next shot, anyway, and that’s just a nursing visit.” Their lunch delivery arrived, and Stiles went down to get it, leaving Isaac to chat with Peter.

“Have you picked out a new family doctor yet?”

“I was going to go to the same place as Stiles, but unless you’ve recently been in a coma with delusions, they don’t really rush you to the top of the new patient list. Deaton’s still giving me the birth control injections for Weres.”

“Yes, but human suppressants won’t work on you, do you have a plan for dealing with your heats?”

“I shouldn’t get one till next fall, so hopefully by then I’ll have it worked out.”

“I don’t want to make you nervous, but there’s a chance you could go into heat again before next year. You presented late, so the chances-”

“I know,” Isaac said, quickly. “Deaton and I talked about it.” He cleared his throat and pushed down his defensiveness. “It can happen fairly suddenly, and it’s harder to control in the early stages. And guys like me, who’ve presented late take longer to get a set schedule.”

“I should’ve given you the benefit of the doubt, Isaac. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was going ‘Mama Wolf’ on you.”

“It’s nice to have people looking out for me.”

“Ha! Try that one again, Isaac.” Peter was chuckling. “Please be patient with me, I’m always sure I’m doing everything wrong.” Isaac sighed and relaxed.

“It-it feels good to hear you say that.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said you’re my favorite Beta. I’d hate to screw things up because I was too invasive.” Peter sounded earnest. “I’m glad you’re with Stiles and Derek, but before it becomes too much, tell me and we’ll find something that works.”

“Okay. Have a safe trip.” Isaac hung up and decided to go to the pub for dinner. He walked downtown alone but offered to get dinner for Stiles too. He saw Renee’s sweet smile when she greeted him, and he took a seat near the back. It wasn’t terribly busy, and he ordered his dinner and a beer. She came and chatted with him for a few minutes, and they caught up. He was looking at cars to buy and she made a recommendation for a higher-end but dependable one, and he secretly put it to the top of his mental list.

~

Isaac continued to train with Chris who started showing him more offensive moves and letting Isaac attack him. On his first lesson since meeting Stewart, Isaac had been nervous, waiting for Chris to bring up his habit of going into the woods to meet sleazy guys and suck them off, but he didn’t bring it up directly. When he caught Isaac not paying attention, he tripped him, and Isaac hit the ground hard.

“I need your head in the game, here.” He tapped Isaac’s chest. “Nothing else is important while we’re doing this.” He meant it.

“Okay.” Isaac got to his feet and kept training. He went home, showered, and had lunch at the pub before his session with Kira. They talked about his mother and when he left, he felt a little worse than when he’d arrived. His head ached, and he felt uncomfortable and paced his apartment for a while. He had the jittery feeling under his skin that addicts probably got when they needed a fix, and he continued to pace. Going to the pub was out of the question, not in his current state. Derek surprised him by coming out of his bedroom and pulling him into a tight hug. He was an Alpha, so he squeezed hard enough to hurt.

“Come for a run.” He demanded it, and Isaac went with him. It was already dark when they got to the trail, and Derek surprised him again. He told Isaac to get a head start and that he was going to chase him. “If you get as far as the elementary school before I catch you, I’ll buy your new car.”

“If I don’t?”

“Nothing. I’m not going to give you an alternative you might like.” Derek nodded at the trail. “I want to see how fast you really are, and there’s no one on the trails tonight. Move.”

Isaac started to run, initially he was phoning it in, but then he heard the howl. Derek was hunting him. He put on some more speed and felt the heavier footsteps landing on the path. He kicked it up into high gear and could smell the wet wood chips from the elementary school playground. His lips were peeled back from his teeth in a manic grin and he pumped his arms and legs, and launched himself over the chain link fence, hitting the ground and rolling to his feet. He couldn’t see or hear Derek, but he sprinted the last hundred yards to the closest part of the building and reached out to touch the brick.

A soft scrape of a sneaker was the only warning Isaac had, and then Derek dropped off the roof and tackled him. He laughed as the Alpha sat on him and raised his thick arms in victory.

“Nice.”

“You’re really fast,” Derek said, breathing a little faster than usual. He helped his friend to his feet. “Did you do track?”

“Cross-country. It was a way to stay away from home and away from most of the jocks at the same time.”

“I probably couldn’t have caught you if we were on the same path.” He grinned. “I took a shortcut.”

“Seriously?” Isaac looked confused. Derek nodded to the parking lot where his Camaro was parked.

“Yeah, I cut out of the woods when you started to really run and went back to the main road and ran through town. The path makes a really long detour around the pond before it comes back.”

“Cheater.”

“Yes.” Derek nodded. “So, lets go look at cars.” The wandered around one of the bigger lots that had already closed, and Derek, who knew about more than just sports cars, talked easily about engines, gas mileage, and what special features were worth the money. Stiles and John joined them to Isaac’s delight, and they all argued for over an hour about which cars were the best. Eventually they went to a late-night diner and had dessert. The adrenaline of the chase, and the company with the distracting discussion put Isaac in a better place.

After showering, Isaac knocked on Derek’s bedroom door.

“Yeah.” He walked in and saw Derek, clean and wearing soft-looking pants as he sat at his desk.

“Thanks.” The Omega stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment. “The run tonight, and the other stuff. It helped clear my head.”

“Mine too.” Derek pushed his chair back a little. “At night, I know the parts of town where there’s no people out and around. It’s easier for me to feel normal.”

“There’s a pub I go to.” Isaac came farther into the room and closed the door behind him. “There’s a woman who works there. She’s nice, and treats me like a friend because I go there a lot. I know we’re not really friends, but it makes me feel normal too.”

“That the one downtown on the corner of Riverside and Main?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve smelled you there when I’ve gone for walks.” Derek leaned back in his chair when Isaac pulled himself up onto the desk. “Is the food good? It usually smells pretty good.”

“Yeah. It calls itself a gastro pub, it’s better than just the fried stuff you get at other places.”

“Maybe I’ll get takeout from there sometime.” Derek smiled at the relief in Isaac’s face. “I won’t crowd in on you.”

“I don’t have a crush, there’s just something about how we talk to each other that makes me feel like I’m not just pretending to be Isaac Lahey.”

“We changed names a few times after the fire,” Derek said. “I never got used to it, probably because it was only going to be temporary.” He crossed an ankle over his knee.

“Have you seen anyone from your high school, or anyone you knew?”

“No one I was close to, but I think I’m trying to avoid that, among other things. I don’t know what I’d say if I did see them and they asked me what I’ve been up to for the last six years.”

“No cover story?”

“I’m not a great liar anymore.” He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “I’d feel like a deer caught in the headlights.”

“What kind of history are you going to have Peter give you?”

“We were in the same accident in South America. I stayed there for a while after healing to look after him. I’m just going with that.”

“That works.”

“Being rich enough to afford living in another country indefinitely, helps.”

“So, your sister’s down there someplace?”

“Maybe.” Derek shrugged. “She’d been in contact with the attorneys who ran the trust for a while, but just before Peter got better, she stopped contacting them.”

“She doesn’t have old emails or anything?”

“Not that she’s responded to.” Derek fiddled with a loose thread on his pants. “I know it was rough for her to move around, but she was in college back in New York. She was doing well there, but after she left her trail goes cold in South America.”

“What was she studying?”

“She was finishing her undergrad degree in biochemical engineering; I think she wanted to go into research.”

“Sounds smart.”

“Yeah,” Derek smiled. “Total brat, though.” He talked about her a little, and how she and Peter were similar in the way they were both very intense and made few apologies.

“Is she an Alpha?”

“Beta.”

“You had a lot of Alphas in your family.”

“Yeah, more than average. But both of our parents were Alphas.” Stiles sent them a text saying he’d be out till the morning, and they both put their phones away. “Does it bother you when he brings Chris over?”

“I don’t have a crush on Chris. I don’t want to be his boyfriend or lover.”

“Not what I asked.”

“Maybe a little. I guess I want more of his attention, maybe approval.” He crossed his arms and tucked his hands under his armpits. “Probably the stern dad thing.”

“Like we don’t all have Daddy issues.”

“How’s your knot block?” Derek gave him a sour look. “I don’t have a knot. I’m never going to know this kind of pain.”

“A bit better.” He shifted a little. “I’m probably doing to give enough to Deaton to build him a new house if it keeps up.”

“Is it because you live with us?”

“It might be _one_ of the factors, but I’m attached to you, and I’m not sleeping with either of you, so I think my dick is confused.”

“You could get a girlfriend.”

“Good idea. That waitress, her name’s Renee right?” He raised a bushy brow.

“Touché. But is it just like being horny all the time? You don’t smell like you’re actually aroused.”

“No, it’s more like spring fever, but just in your balls.” He adjusted himself in the soft pants. “If your knot swells before you’re fully hard, you’ll still come, but you’ll ejaculate less, and the knot actually narrows some of the vessels and stops your balls from emptying out. Then it’s just a vicious cycle.”

“That was why Stiles had to work on your balls, not your dick.”

“Uh, yeah.” He pinked in the cheeks a little.

“Bro-job.”

“No, he didn’t suck my dick, and neither of us is straight.” He swatted at Isaac. “Get your urban terms right, Man.”

“Right, it was a medical procedure.”

“I’m not into Stiles like that, not when he’s sleeping with my uncle.” He wrinkled his nose. “They might see other people, but it never feels right to pursue your Alpha’s partners.” He rubbed his temple. “When they were taking a break, I got a little confused because of our history in the shelter. My wolf had a residual attachment even if he wasn’t the one who milked me. He still took care of me.”

“How long do you think you’ll have knot problems?”

“Hard to say,” he waited for Isaac to snicker. “It’s mostly a timing thing. If I don’t clear things out, I’m likely to have trouble sleeping. That’s when I’ll end up popping a knot before I’m fully hard. Even if I’m not actively horny, I’ll still be oversensitive.”

“Not as bad as your stress rut though?”

“That was more intense, this is just prolonged. I probably would do a little better with a regular partner.”

“You seem hesitant. Have your tastes changed at all?”

“I wouldn’t know.” He fiddled with his pants again. “Since fully regaining my mind, I haven’t really tried outside of my rut.”

“Is that why you were asking me about the club?” He tilted his head and looked at the Alpha closely.

“I like it rough, sometimes.” He looked away. “Not all the time, and it depends on who I’m with. But I feel like I might get aggressive, so I don’t want to get a reputation before I’ve met someone.”

The discussion probably should’ve stopped there, but Isaac was feeling odd. Derek refused at first, but it was hard to lie to another Werewolf when he said he didn’t want anything.

“Why not try it out with me?” Isaac held his hands out to the side. “I can take whatever you dish out, so you can let go, get what you need, and practice.”

“It’s not fair to you if I use you.”

“If I were trying to date you, you’d be right. But you might be able to give me something I need too.”

“I might be too much for you.”

“Maybe, but you’ll stop if I want to stop, right?”

“Yes.” Isaac could tell then that Derek wanted this. His reasons for wanting it seemed similar to Isaac’s for wanting to do it. Very little to do with sex, and everything to do with regaining control over their lives. Derek started to push his chair back, but Isaac just dropped to his knees and tugged the chair closer. This wasn’t one of the fantasies he’d acted out at the club, but it was one that interested him since hearing Peter, Stiles, and Chris in the office. “What can I do?”

“Push me around, pull my hair, fuck my face, I’m okay with that. If you want to go farther, you can touch my dick and balls, and you can fuck between my thighs or rub off against me, but I don’t bottom anymore.”

“Okay.” Derek didn’t ask why, he just leaned back in his chair. Isaac tugged down the waist of his pants and fished out his slightly plumped erection. Although his cock was quick to respond, Derek said very little and didn’t move much at first. Isaac took his hand and brought it to his hair; at first the hand just rested there, and then Isaac started to suck harder. The fingers tightened in his hair but didn’t try to interfere with his movements.

“Do it, Derek,” he said, pulling off, and then dove back down. The fingers pulled him in with a hard jerk, and then another one. He relaxed his neck as the Alpha started jerking his mouth down on his cock. And was a little surprised at the level of aggression his friend displayed. In his stress rut, he’d been clingy and needy, and he was so passive, Isaac had doubted that his concerns about being aggressive were realistic. Now, however, he fucked the Omega’s mouth hard and fast, without giving him a chance to catch his breath. 

“Take it,” he panted. “Just fucking take it, Isaac. Now suck. Harder. Keep going. Don’t let up. I’m gonna come. I’m gonna come in your mouth and you’re gonna swallow it.” He grunted and bunched two handfuls of hair and shoved his cock down Isaac’s throat, coming with a growl and holding him with his nose buried in his pubes until he’d stopped twitching. He gasped for breath when he sat back. Derek’s face was red with a dreamy expression. He ran a hand over Isaac’s hair and then rubbed a thumb over his mouth. “Fucking Hell.” He laid his head back against the chair, and when Isaac started to stand up, his hand tightened on his throat.

The Omega sat back down as Derek’s thumb rubbed against his windpipe. He almost wanted to push into it, but waited. The Alpha’s pupils were blown when he blinked down at his roommate. “What are your limits again?”

“I don’t bottom anymore, not into bathroom stuff, but do whatever you want. Get yourself cleared out.”

“How long?”

“Till Stiles gets back.” Isaac thought he might be able to go longer before seeing Stewart again, if he let someone use him. “You can come get me whenever. I’ll close the bathroom door if I actually need privacy.” He almost looked like he was in sub space. “The hunt got you going, didn’t it?”

“Yeah. It never has before, but I haven’t been around many Omega wolves.”

“Do you want to just…take what you want when you need it?”

“Yes.” He answered without hesitation.

“You know where I’ll be.”

Isaac could feel Derek through the pack bonds. Restless, hungry, and frustrated, the Alpha essentially stalked him around the apartment. Isaac was starting to enjoy the anticipation, knowing that Derek could grab him at any moment. He whistles merrily and started cooking pasta for the picnic Lydia wanted him to take her on. She was handling most of the food, but insisted he could manage pasta salad. He diced up some veggies, put them in a container, and dumped the bow tie pasta into the simmering water and added salt. Arms went around him and he was dragged to the floor between the fridge and the counter.


	8. Old ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac remembers good and bad things.

“Hey, did you check your email?” Brian’s voice sounded impatient when Isaac answered.

“No, I’ve been a little tied up today.” Isaac was lying on his stomach on Derek’s bed. “What’s up?”

“Stewart had another opening. I wanted to check with you before it gets snapped up by someone else.”

“Uh, when?”

“Next weekend. He’s got a Friday and Saturday, each at eight.”

“Yeah, put me down for Friday.”

“You coming this week?”

“Is there anything special happening?”

“I’ve gotten the impression that there will be a bigger crowd. It seems like we’ve had a bunch of new people starting to cross over from just the BDSM to the sex.”

“Yeah, I’m in.” Isaac was really racking up the frequent flyer miles, but with naked, aroused Derek looking like he wanted to murder him for talking on the phone while in his bed, he hoped he’d get some kind of punishment.

“Okay, check in with me when you arrive on Thursday.”

“Will do.”

“Bye.” Isaac hung up and felt Derek crawl over his back, growling softly. He dropped his phone on the floor and tucked his hands under his chin, closing his eyes and sighing, softly. Derek’s teeth snapped onto his nape, pinning him down. He jerked down the back of Isaac’s shorts and squeezed the round globes.

“Do you fuck that guy?” he rumbled, letting his thick, throbbing cock rest between Isaac’s cheeks.

“Nope,” Isaac said, being a little shit, “he introduced me to all the people I _do_ fuck though.” He grinned as Derek started rutting against his ass. “Bet you’d fuck me if I let you.”

“I’d be so deep in that tight ass,” Derek said with a dark chuckle. “Knot you so hard, fill you full of come.” His hard, thick cock was rubbing hard against Isaac’s hole, and he knew he was starting to get wet. He bit his hand and moaned, spreading his legs and arching his back, just letting the thick organ rub back and forth over the tight pucker. He’d gotten a little aroused by some of Derek’s attention, but it had been more relaxing than anything else. Having direct stimulation on his hole, when it had been untouched for so long made him shiver. “You smell so good,” Derek hissed and locked an arm around his neck. He made fast, hard thrusts against Isaac’s ass, and his knot began to swell. When the thick gland pressed directly against the slick, tight opening, Isaac caught himself opening his mouth to beg for it. He snapped his mouth shut and pushed back, letting the pressure slapping against him get him close. Derek wrapped a hand around his mouth and started jerking him off, making his short, grinding thrusts.

“Mmmh,” Isaac moaned as his thighs and belly tightened up.

“I’d make you come so hard like this,” Derek growled, jerking with a fast, rough hand. Isaac bit Derek’s hand and came, spilling over the Alpha’s fist. His hole spasmed and he felt a trickle of fluid as it tried to open up for the knot he knew was there. The clenching went on longer and the orgasm was drawn out until Derek finally spurted over his back in a hot flood. He pressed down hard, squeezing his knot against Isaac, trying to get more pressure on it. He even pushed the Omega’s cheeks together around it.

“Jesus that thing is fucking huge.” Isaac said, panting.

“You okay?” Derek’s voice was back to normal, even if he was out of breath. He rocked as he lazily spurted. “My dick thinks I knotted you. Sorry, do you mind?”

“No,” Isaac shook his head and buried his face in his arms. “I just…God, every time I think I’m okay doing things my way, my ass tries to change my mind.”

“You didn’t get as into the other times.”

“I haven’t bottomed since coming back, I just can’t, but Holy Mother it feels good to have a knot shoved up against me.”

“I’m versatile, but it was always more prostate, or sometimes just the domination aspect I wanted when I did.” He grunted and another spurt dripped onto Isaac’s back.

“I’m seriously getting a bath here.”

“Good news is that I’m not blocked up anymore.”

“Stiles will be thrilled at the deposits you made last night.”

~Once he’d showered, Isaac took a nap. He didn’t get much sleep with a restless Alpha snuggling up to him, and waking him twice to fuck his face. Between that and getting pounced on in the kitchen and later the living room, he hoped Derek was about empty by now, because Stiles was likely to arrive sooner rather than later. He checked his phone and saw a message from Jackson on it. Curious, he read the text:

_JW-I got a call from Duke last night. He said he wanted to reach Peter, and I didn’t think before telling him Peter’s gone. He didn’t seem surprised._

_To JW-Did he want anything special?_

_JW-He didn’t tell me, he just asked if I was living with anyone. I told him no, but I didn’t say where anyone else was living._

_To JW-thx._

Isaac’s memories of Duke were confusing at best. His memories were through the eyes of a dumb animal. Seeking out the pleasure of being touched and loved by his handlers, being groomed by Lydia and drowning in her scent, evaluating the Alphas in the barn and being overwhelmed by Duke’s pheromones. He remembered the fog of contentment as the Alpha had gently touched him, stroking his skin until his need for pack and acceptance had driven him to present. The feeling of Duke’s tongue in his hole as he’d enthusiastically eaten him out, and later the feeling of being penetrated for the first time. He burned with humiliation at remembering that it had been an unripe banana shoved into his ass while Scott, Deaton and Lydia had watched.

Isaac had barely noticed them because the sensation of _finally_ having something thick and firm driven into him repeatedly. He knew he was getting red in the face thinking about the noises he’d made while his Alpha had brought him off. He remembered the sticky, uncomfortable nights of his heat when he’d helplessly sucked on the knotting dildo Scott had given him, crying out until his then-human Alpha caretaker had yawned sleepily and gently coaxed him around until he’d guided the Omega back onto it.

Dumb Isaac had kept looking backward, not understanding why he felt a cock but couldn’t see a partner. Scott had been so patient and gentle with him, fingering his ass and then pushing him back onto the dildo that was securely fastened to the wall, and holding his shoulders and guiding him back onto it until he’d figured out how to fuck himself on it. Even now as he fought back tears thinking about how the people at his school would have reacted if they knew. He’d probably have committed suicide if anyone from home had known. It brought up something at the back of his mind that was too terrible to face.

Isaac shoved the thought away and launched himself off the bed, practically sprinting toward Derek’s room as he heard Stiles and Chris coming into the apartment. He mentally showered blessings on Derek who opened his door and caught him in a tight hug, quietly closing them off from the rest of the apartment. He turned on his stereo and started playing some hip hop, no one’s favorite, but it worked well for blocking werewolf that weren’t trying too hard

“Talk to me,” he said, squeezing the Omega tightly.

“I can’t say it,” he said. “I just need more.”

“Did I make it worse?”

“No, I was doing great until I got a message that just brought up too much stuff. He pushed his face into the strong, immovable shoulder.

“What do you need?” he whispered.

~

“Thanks for breakfast,” Stiles said, not releasing Chris’s hand when they walked into the apartment. The Alpha grinned as he was tugged along into the younger man’s bedroom.

“My pleasure.” Chris pulled Stiles back into him, and kissed him hungrily. They’d both been tired after dinner and a movie the previous night and Stiles had wanted a date that wasn’t about sex for them. They’d enjoyed themselves, but now the date was officially over, and the Omega’s scent had been ripening since they’d gotten in the elevator. “I’d be happy with your company for any reason, Stiles. You know that, right?”

“Yes.” The younger man shoved his hand boldly down the hunter’s pants and started fondling him. “Now, shut up and fuck me. I want it hard, fast and rough.” He found himself spun around with his hands catching him as he was pushed against the wall. “God, yes.” He closed his eyes and panted as Chris ripped his pants down to his thighs and then wrestled his own belt and jeans open.

~

Isaac had a belt clamped between his teeth and sighed in relief as Stiles’s bedroom door shut.

“It’s been a while,” Derek said. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he hissed through the leather. “I can’t go back to…doing what I was doing. It wasn’t good.”

“Okay.” The blow landed with the beat of the drum on the music. It wouldn’t stop Chris from hearing if he wanted to, but he trusted the hunter to keep his mouth shut.

~

Chris pressed the head of his cock between Stiles’s cheeks and pushed hard until it popped through the sensitive ring of muscle. Stiles let out a gasp and a sigh, like it was a relief to feel the stretch and burn.

“Don’t stop now.” His forehead was resting against the wall. He had that tense, trembling energy that reminded Chris of the night of the first break-in when he’d dragged Stiles into the back of the SUV, pinned him down and fucked him. He’d never met anyone as responsive to simulation as his Omega. He pushed in hard, adjusted his grip on his Boy’s hips and started ramming.

~

Isaac shut his eyes and tried to only hear the crack of Derek’s hand on his bare ass, but he couldn’t help listening.

~

“Oh!” Stiles gasped. “Oh, make me take it. Please, please fill me up.”

“You want me to come in your ass?” Growled Argent. “You’re so fucking tight! I wanna fuck you all day long. I wanna fall asleep knotted and wake up with you riding me.”

“Yes!” Stiles groaned. He braced his hands on the wall. “Just like that. Don’t stop, I’m gonna come. Make me come, Chris. Yes, Alpha!”

~

Isaac bit through the leather, and his lip, but he didn’t relax his jaw until Derek spun him around, a concerned look on his face as Isaac spit out the bloody leather.

“What is it? What do you need?”

“I don’t know. I’m so fucked up.” Derek hugged him, and despite his desire for punishment, the hug made him feel better.

“Do you want me to call Kira?”

“No.” He shook his head.

“What was the message?”

“Jackson gave me a head’s up that Duke called him. He was fishing; wanted to make sure Peter was really out of the country.”

“He has no business coming back here.”

“Yeah, and he called Jackson, the guy with the weakest link into the pack. Malia and Kira would’ve told Peter, or they’d have known not to say anything.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“He asked if Jackson had a roommate.”

“He wants to know if you still live with Stiles.” Derek looked concerned.

“Why would I move in with Jackson?”

“He was probably guessing you and Stiles would have let Jackson move in with you.”

“He seems nice enough, but I don’t think Stiles wants to do that, just because of Lydia’s discomfort with him.”

“Duke doesn’t care about Jackson,” Derek said shaking his head. “Even Jackson knows which is why he told you.” He tilted his head to the side. “He did you a solid. I’ll mention that to Peter.”

“Why now?” Isaac asked.

“He may have connections and might know that you’ve been to L.A. a few times and he’s curious. He also might assume that you’d miss him, and wanted to wait until you’ve had time to get over your anger and start remembering the good times.” Derek rubbed his chin. “I think he assumes you’ll be unable to bond with us; frankly, I think he’s hoping that’s the case and that you’ll be going into heat early and that you’ll want to be with him because he’s familiar.”

“Ironic. I’m both more broken and less broken than he assumes.”

“You’re not broken at all. You function as an adult, despite having a lot of trauma in your past. I’m broken because I can’t even leave the apartment alone without having a panic attack.” He smiled, grimly. “I can’t even believe I’m trying to convince someone else that I might know what I’m talking about.”

“I can function because I tell myself I’m not me. I tell myself everything happened to…someone else, and that Isaac Lahey-soon-to-be-Stilinski has no past, no trauma. I tell myself that everyone liked Isaac, so it was better to be him. And I was honestly relieved when the packmates who joined Peter are the ones who were also out of their heads and doing weird, regrettable sex stuff.” He shook his head. “No way would I be able to go back to being packmates with the twins. They might love me, in a way, but they’re assholes and they used to bully me too.

“I can’t imagine I’ll ever go more than a few weeks without one or the other making some reference to me being Duke’s favorite because he knotted me, or saying something about me being an Omega.” He shook his head. “Its not in their nature to check their own behavior in order to help someone else heal.”

“For someone so young, you have a good grasp of things.” Derek settled his hand on the back of Isaac’s neck. He pressed their foreheads together. “You remember what happened when I was under my old house, right?”

“We don’t have to talk about it, Derek.” Isaac put his hand on the Alpha’s chest. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to talk about your issues.”

“It’s okay. I feel like I can with you. You were the only one who was there. You tried to comfort me. You knew I was hurting.”

“Why did…why did she put us together?”

“She would tease me a lot before bringing you in.” Derek started to pace. “I remember her being upset and beating me after you came in. She sprayed you with synthetic pheromone. Do you remember?”

“It was a blur, she drugged me, and I remember her lubing my ass and tying my wrists and collar to the wall.”

“She wanted me to think you were a relief Beta, or something.” Derek rubbed his nose and then rubbed his palms on his thighs. “Maybe she wanted to see if I preferred her over you.”

“You just held me.”

“You were the only thing that felt like _Pack_ to me.” Derek pulled him into a hug and held him more tightly, more desperately. “You were the only good thing. In fact, after she took you away the last time, back to Allison I guess, that’s when I escaped.” He rubbed Isaac’s back. “Did she do anything to you after I went to the farm?”

“No. She wasn’t interested in me. I think Allison asked her to watch me when she traveled because she trusted her to keep me a secret. Chris didn’t approve of hunters keeping us as pets. I remember meeting him for the first time. Allison taught me to hide from humans when they came to visit. She put me in Were-care for the day or weekend when he was in town, but he must’ve smelled me when he went to her apartment.”

~

Baby peered out the window and saw the dark shape. It wasn’t Mama. He hid in the closet, back in the bedroom, where Mama told him to stay if anyone ever came in who wasn’t her. He smelled _Alpha_. It was familiar. Mama smelled like this Alpha before, and he’d been to their den before, but only with Mama. Baby crouched behind the laundry basket and put the blanket over his head. He heard the Alpha whistling softly and moving around the apartment. Then he came into the bedroom and was humming a soft tune.

Baby felt a little dazed and warm as the masculine scent of Alpha washed over him. He blinked when the blanket was lifted and saw the smiling face.

“Hi, Baby.” He folded the blanket and turned away from the closet, moving casually in Mama’s room. Isaac crept out, soothed by the scent of _Trust_ , and _Safe._ Alpha sat down on the bed and he scooted to the floor by his knee, staring up at him, curiously. A big hand ran over his hair and he leaned into the touch. He placed his hand on Alpha’s knee as the hand ran down his neck. He purred and Alpha chuckled. “Oh, she must have her hands full with you.” His eyes were pale and a little sad. “I can see how she couldn’t resist you.”


	9. Split

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac starts sorting things out. Most of them, anyway.

“He didn’t take me from the apartment. I don’t remember that, but Duke said he had Aiden and Ethan drug me and kidnap me right afterwards and set me loose in the woods in Beacon Hills. They called Chris and gave him an anonymous tip about a skinny Were loose in someone’s back yard. They also apparently stayed in the woods and marked out territory to keep me contained. I couldn’t hunt, I was starving, and Aiden chased me into the path of Chris Argent’s car.”

“Jesus, you could’ve been killed.”

“But I wasn’t, and I cut ties with the remains of the pack. They were toxic in all kinds of ways.” He leaned back against Derek’s desk. “I wish my pack hadn’t been murdered, but I’m…Nevermind.” He shook his head, feeling his face get hot and his throat choke up. “I don’t want to think like that.” He could hear the panting and kissing happening in the other room and relaxed a little. He was comfortably numb now, and had few commitments, so he made his travel and lodging arrangements for the weekend and returned a missed call from Peter.

“Jackson told me that Duke called him,” Peter’s voice was tense, but pleasant. “He told me he let you know.”

“I was just talking about it with Derek,” he said, flopping back on his pillows. “It makes me a little tense, but I’m not going to let it bother me too much.”

“John is my second. I need to let him know, and I’m telling you this to be official, not because I don’t think you can stand up for yourself, but I’ve already told him he’s not welcome in my territory. I know you’re free to act however you’d like, and I can’t imagine a reason for why you’d do this, but he’s not to be allowed into the apartment.”

“I won’t. I understand why you’re worried. Mostly I’m insulted that he’s sniffing around like he’s my ex-boyfriend or something.” He made a noise of disgust. “I asked him to give me space and he didn’t, I asked him not to call me, if he breaks that rule, he gets what’s coming to him.”

“Have the twins contacted you?”

“No, and if they do, I’m not interested in talking to them. We were pack, but they weren’t my friends. They were more like your older cousins that you really don’t like very much because they play football and you’re in the drama club, but all they ever want to do is play football when you come visit. They didn’t play football, and I wasn’t in theater, but you get it?”

“That’s…a really good analogy.” Peter sounded surprised. “I can picture exactly what that’s like.”

“So yeah, Duke or the twins might try to contact me, but there’s very little motivation for me to even listen to them, much less see them.” He cleared his throat. “And you’re the one with experience, but I’d think they’d be more focused on getting new recruits than putting effort towards getting me back.”

“I think you underestimate your value.”

“Right. Omega.”

“No. You’re a bright, sensitive, charming young man bursting with potential. The possibilities with you are endless, and if I was an Alpha who was more ambitious and less moral…wait…yeah, that describes me exactly, but if I didn’t think you’ll offer the world more following your own path, there are a lot of things you could be steered towards that benefit your Alpha.”

“That’s creepy.”

“Keep that thought in mind. I think anyone would be able to see your potential as a person, but if Duke and his minions really wanted what’s best for you…”

“They’d leave me alone, like I asked.”

“Yes, being around them would be more harmful than good at this point, and any attempts to contact you would only benefit them.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m always happy to talk to my favorite Beta.” Peter cleared his throat. “Do you have everything you need?”

“Yeah, Stiles is planning a fishing trip some time soon, and I think Scott, John, and I are all planning to go. You interested?”

“It sounds like fun,” he said. “Believe it or not, I grew up camping regularly. It was the only way to get any privacy.”

“I believe it.”

Isaac and Derek drove north a bit and to a small lake that had a rocky rather than a sandy shore, so it was quieter, and they ran through the woods and swam in the lake, letting the small fire Derek built dry them as they lounged naked on the rocks. It felt good to be out of his head in a constructive way, and Isaac tried not to overthink or analyze his contentment. Derek was far away from people that he was comfortable, but he still sent Isaac in to pick up the sandwiches he’d ordered from a Mom and Pop store nearby.

The men ate on the drive back, but were hungry enough when they reached Beacon Hills, that they didn’t refuse an invite to dinner with John and Melissa. It was empanada night, after all. Chris was there but seemed to be John’s guest rather than Stiles’s date, who wasn’t. 

“He and Scott took Kira to IKEA,” John explained, “I’m pretty sure they’ll fill up on meatballs.” The atmosphere remained laid-back with Malia arriving with a fruit salad that she admitted she bought. It felt like pack, and like family, but without Isaac looking over his shoulder at his dad, or the dread of returning to school and his bullies. He pushed away his thoughts about it and ate some nachos, chatting until he and Derek ducked out to go home. Stiles, Scott and Kira were there watching a movie, but Isaac was tired and went to bed, saying goodnight to his roommates and guests. He fell asleep but dreamt of his old house and high school, both empty but with familiar sounds surrounding him: the clanking of dishes in his empty kitchen, and the sound of a football game coming from the empty living room and a lawnmower running on his empty lawn; the squeaking of sneakers on the polished floors of the gymnasium and the slamming of locker doors along with the bell toning in the hallway to mark the end of classes.

“What were you feeling in the dream?” Kira asked.

“Not much. It was like if I had to use the bathroom during class, or if my parents took my brother somewhere and I had the house to myself. I didn’t feel anxious though, it wasn’t like I was just waiting for dad to come home and start telling me about all the stuff I did wrong, or like I thought one of my bullies was going to corner me in the bathroom. There was nothing like that, it felt oddly safe.”

“Do you think it’s because your bullies aren’t at your school anymore?”

“Or at home,” Isaac added. Then caught himself. Maybe the house and the school don’t feel scary because it was always the people inside that were the problem.” She didn’t say anything for a moment. “Was that bad?”

“No. I think you might be letting go of some of your older anxieties because you don’t come into contact with the people who used to hurt you.”

“I don’t miss them,” Isaac said, quietly. “Maybe I will, like maybe I’ll miss my mom, and Cam eventually, but when I think of them before the party, all I can think about is my mom getting quiet and leaving the room when my dad would start in on me. Not like she never defended me, but I think eventually she started blaming me for not trying harder to live up to his expectations.”

“A lot of people in her position can’t face their own weakness when it comes to defending their children from an abusive partner, and they delude themselves into thinking that maybe their spouse has a point, and is just being too harsh.”

“You remember them; what was mom like, from your perspective?”

“Cam was really little, so I remember her being tired and a bit rundown. Cam was a handful, and your dad didn’t help.” She gave him a sad smile. “I got the impression she seemed annoyed by you, but not that she didn’t care.”

“What did I do?” he asked.

“You moped, you were broody, and you didn’t talk to anyone. You didn’t always answer when people tried to talk to you, and you followed Duke around.” She paused. “These were the things your dad tended to complain about. Your mom didn’t say much. I don’t think I remember going to any of your birthday parties.”

“They didn’t throw me any,” he replied. “I’d get cake and presents, and we’d go out to dinner, but I never had any friends to invite.”

“We would’ve come,” she said, softly. “I’m sorry if you felt like no one cared about you.”

“I really did,” he said, looking at the ceiling. “I was ignored or ridiculed at school. I didn’t fit in with anyone, not even my own family. Cam was a good kid, but it hurt that he didn’t look up to me. I was his big brother, but he…kind of ignored me too.” He sniffed. “I wish he’d survived. I think about what would’ve happened if he and I were the only ones left. He could’ve lived with me, and we could’ve been brothers. For real.” He looked up at Kira. “Didn’t anyone notice?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t clear that you were being bullied so badly. I’m sorry for not seeing the signs.” She cleared her throat. “I know it might not be what you want to hear, but Duke was the one who tended to try and draw you out.”

“I remember. I think he was the only one I trusted.”

“Do you miss Duke?”

“A little.”

“How did you feel when Jackson told you he’d called?”

“I’ve been dreading the moment when he contacts me because I don’t want to…hurt his feelings. But it might be worse because if he were _actually_ stalking me, then at least I’d feel like I was important to him.” He felt instantly ashamed. “I’m sorry. That was stupid.”

“Do you want Duke to come after you?”

“I think it would be nice to think that me not being in his pack is something that still bothers him.”

“You want to think your rejection mattered.”

“I want to mean something. To someone.”

“You have friends now, right?”

“Yes, but they don’t know the real me.”

“Isaac, this is the real you.” Kira reached out and touched his hand. “This is who you’ve always been, but without bullies and insecurity holding you back.”

“My life is so much better without them,” Isaac said, quietly.

“Your high school bullies and the anxiety you had at home, yes.” She looked sad. “Switching schools wasn’t an option?”

“Dad said no.”

“Maybe after high school, when you went to college, or if you just transferred to another pack, your life might’ve been like this.”

“I’d still have my dad back home.”

“There’s no law that says you’re not allowed to cut ties with your family.” Kira sat back in her chair. “If you went away to school, or if you just moved away and joined another pack, you’d have had support and guidance. I don’t want you to think of the good things in your life being made possible by the events at the party. This is the life you were meant to have, and you made it here _despite_ everything that happened.”

“Okay.”

~

Isaac felt untethered after his session with Kira. He had no idea what he was feeling or what he _should_ be feeling, but it was Friday, and he had to wait a week before he could see Stewart again. He tried going to the pub for dinner, but he couldn’t concentrate. There was live music and a different waitress on, so he left cash on the table after one beer. He found himself unwittingly driving past Chris Argent’s house and pulled over, clenching the steering wheel and resting his head on his forearms. He tried to breathe, but his mind kept wanting to go back to his session with Kira.

_My life is so much better without them._ The thought kept coming back and he could tell, the way Kira told him he was talking about the school bullies, that she knew he hadn’t been. He’d been disappointed by his mother, he’d resented the speed with which Cam picked up on Isaac being the family scapegoat, and he had to admit that he hated his father, just a little. He _was_ better off without them. He had everything he’d ever wanted: a dad who loved him, a protective big brother who’d put his life on the line to save him, friends who valued him, and an Alpha who looked after him and seemed to understand who he was.

Nobody asked Isaac why he didn’t fit in, and nobody asked him why he didn’t have any friends. Nobody took cheap shots at him for being an Omega, and nobody assumed he was always the bottom. He laughed bitterly as tears rolled down his face and he started to shake. He never would have asked for this. He never would have stood up to his dad and told him to back off. He never would have gone to his mother and asked him why she let his father bully him. He never stepped up and took Cam for a walk, or to go play catch, he’d just accepted how they treated him. He wouldn’t have done it. He would have probably just quietly avoided them until college and he probably would’ve waited until he had a good excuse, like a job someplace else, before looking for another pack. He also knows that if he had felt even a token resistance, he’d have buckled and stayed.

A knock on the window surprised Isaac, and he looked up, hiding his face again, quickly when he realized Chris was standing outside, looking at him. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and sniffled, quickly. He took a few breaths and looked up again. The hunter was still standing there. He rolled down his window.

“Are you okay, Isaac?”

“Would you believe me if I said yes?”

“Why don’t you come in for a minute.”

The argent house was the same as it always was, tasteful, clean, and cold. Chris brought him to the spotless kitchen and gestured to a seat at the counter. Isaac hunched into himself, trying to keep himself as small as possible. He wasn’t sure what he was doing there, maybe he could make himself believe that it was because Chris’s house was the most frequent, scheduled stop when he was driving.

“Sorry if I interrupted you,” he said.

“I just came back from a walk.” It was hard to tell, Chris tended to dress like a guy who sold guns for a living. Ready for action, but still professional. He only dressed down when he was beating the shit out of Isaac. “You were with Kira earlier.” It wasn’t a question, exactly, but the softened end to the statement was gently inquisitive.

“I uh, yeah. Yeah, I saw her earlier today.” He breathed easier when Chris turned his back to take down a coffee cup.

“Tea?”

“Sure.” Isaac looked around and tried to picture Allison there, but it was too impersonal. “How long have you lived here?”

“Twelve years,” he said and looked around. “We hired decorators, and we frequently had business-related guests, especially when we were filming the show.”

“Right, I forgot about that. Must’ve been weird.”

“Victoria was a natural with the press. Allison didn’t love it, but she’s always been the warmest member of the family, and that worked on camera.”

“I didn’t really watch it before everything went to Hell. Some of the others in the packs did in the early seasons, but usually just the ones who liked the irony. I was living in the wilderness after that and didn’t even realize I’d been taken in by a tv star.” He accepted the hot mug of tea, it was chamomile. “Allison didn’t turn it on at home, but she took calls about it from producers.” He sipped the hot tea. “Did you and your wife get along?”

“Victoria and I loved each other,” he said. “It was far from conventional, though. We were both raised by hunters, she was expected to be the leader of her whole family, and I was raised to be an obedient soldier.” He leaned on the counter and looked thoughtful. “We both realized we were in a unique position of being trapped at the top in an organization with responsibilities we respected, but surrounded by people we didn’t.”

“She didn’t like the organization?”

“She brushed off her own upbringing early on by saying it was a different time, and it was necessary, but when we had Allison, she admitted that she didn’t think she could be as callous. I agreed and we really bonded. We started to be more honest with each other, and we both understood we couldn’t share this with the others.”

“I remember the day you found me at Allison’s. Did you know what I was then?”

“An Omega, or a sentient person?”

“Either.”

“I didn’t know you were an Omega. I couldn’t even guess your age, but I assumed you were a pet she’d rescued. She always had more empathy than was probably healthy.”

“You think empathy is unhealthy?”

“ _Compassion_ is necessary to really be human, but empathy can prevent you from making a smart decision. It can result in more pain later.”

“Do you…hate your family? Not Allison or your wife, but your father and your sister, do you hate them?”

“I haven’t had an emotional attachment to them in over twenty years. To me, they’ve been business partners and people who, until recently, I’d have trusted with my life while we were hunting something dangerous, but within the hunter organization I wouldn’t have trusted them with fifty cents.”

“You’d hunt Weres with them but not talk about anything personal?”

“There are far worse things out there than you and me, my friend.” The endearment warmed Isaac, even if it was likely just thrown out there because Chris probably couldn’t call him ‘Son’ with a straight face anymore.

“I trusted them that far, because we were all in the position to need each other alive more than dead.”

“Until they found out.”

“Right.”

“So, when they died…”

“I was happy to be alive. They never would’ve stopped hunting me and trying to kill me. Never.”

“Would you have killed them?” Isaac saw the older man’s eyebrows come together.

“Why is this coming up now?”

“Stuff I talked about with Kira. About my life before, and what it is now.” He glanced around and smiled. “I mean, I’m pretty fucked up, but I might’ve already been this way before my pack got obliterated.”

“You’re not fucked up, Isaac.”

“I need pain to feel like a normal person. I do terrible things so I can accept the good things in my life.”

“You have survivor’s guilt; it doesn’t mean you’re fucked up. You’re just trying to get by, like the rest of us.”

“Why do you do it? I mean, the opposite of what I do.” He glanced away, unable to say it out loud in Chris’s house.

“It’s not something I’m prepared to talk about with you right now.” He smiled grimly. “I’ve had decades of experience with self-hatred, and there’s too much to put on you.”

“Are you a sadist?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t enjoy hurting people who don’t want to be hurt. A sadist would never be happy doing what I do.” He tilted his head to the side. “If any part of what we do doesn’t work for you, we can stop.”

“I don’t actually know why I was driving by your house. I stopped because I saw where I was, and I felt out of control. I don’t want to stop.” He sipped the tea again. “The stuff I talked to Kira about was difficult.”

“Difficult to face?”

“Maybe, but probably more because I wasn’t totally honest with her.” He told Chris about how his love for his family in retrospect felt hollow and habitual, something he was trained to do, and did out of the knowledge that it was better than the alternative. “I’m fairly sure I felt guilty letting her believe I’m a better person than I am. I think that’s also why I asked about your family.”

“We were raised to be adversarial, there’s a bit of a difference.”

“I feel like my father decided I wasn’t going to be the son he wanted, and rather than continuing to encourage me, they had Cam, and that’s when things started getting bad.”

“Why do you think that is?” Chris looked genuinely curious, not asking in the therapist kind of way. “When you really think about it, what was the first thing that popped into your head. The little comment that the voice in your head always said.”

“That I was a drain on resources better spent on Cam. I was an interloper. I was interrupting their attempts to raise their son any time I walked into a room. Dad was always acting like I was the guy blocking his view of a baseball game at best and making a direct attack on his happiness at worst.”

“And your mom?”

“She got tired of trying to make us get along, tired of defending me, and eventually just seemed to get annoyed with me continuing to piss of my dad by existing. In the months leading up to the birthday party, she just seemed impatient with me all the time.”

“I can see why you were so unhappy.”

“Plenty of other people had it worse. Dad didn’t get physical with me too often, not directly, anyway.”

“What made you upset outside?”

“I never would have put a stop to it if they hadn’t died.” He looked down at his hands and picked at his sleeve. “When I think about how I was when I was…wild-all the stuff I did with Duke, in front of everyone-all I can think about is how relieved I am that my father’s dead.”

“When you carried Allison out of the tunnel and told me Peter took Kate back inside with Stiles, I was relieved. I knew Peter was going to kill her and when their bodies were found and the coroner's report listed the official cause of death as an accident, it was like a thousand pounds had lifted from my shoulders. I only worried that they’d left a message for Allison telling her everything.”

“Was there anything you missed about them?”

“No. Not for a long time.”

“Ditto.” Isaac ducked his head. “No comparison though, my parents only tried to kill me because they were drugged.”

“True. I win, I guess.” Chris looked at him. “Better?”

“Oddly, no. Maybe having a shitty life is only bearable if it’s the worst.”

“It’s the only one you were stuck in, so what does it matter what everyone else experienced.” Chris leaned forward and took Isaac’s cup. “Multiple things can be true at the same time: you’re alive and well, you have friends, a pack, and you’re surrounded by people who’ve shared some of your life experiences and who are supportive of you. You’ve got money to travel and have…hobbies, your parents and little brother didn’t deserve to die the way they did, they could’ve done a better job supporting you, you were singled out for bullying as a kid, you’re now in a club where you get all the sex you want, and you can’t enjoy the good things in life without feeling like you need to atone for the terrible sin of surviving and not missing the bad things about your past.” The pale eyes bored into Isaac’s without blinking.

“That pretty much sums it up,” Isaac said, standing up. “Thanks for the chat, Chris.”

“See you on Monday.”

“Bright and early.”

“Be prepared for an ass-kicking.”

“For a change?” He heard Chris chuckling as he walked out the door.

_Multiple things can be true at the same time._

Kira had told Isaac about the concept of ‘splitting’. His mother couldn’t think of herself as a good parent, and also allow her son to be abused, and to protect her self-image she started to believe that Isaac deserved it, and that Dad was doing it for his own good. He was doing the same thing now. He was villainizing his family because he felt guilty for his current happiness.

 _You’re not really happy._ Isaac’s father’s voice was louder than usual. _You’re an Omega orphan who’s pitied by everyone. You have to pay that hunter to spend time with you._

Isaac went back to the apartment and mumbled greetings to his roommates as he stumbled to bed. Somehow he made it through the weekend and on Sunday, Peter came home. He felt good with the pack. The heaviness in his chest eased when John hugged him tightly at dinner on Sunday and Melissa squeezed his shoulder and ruffled his hair.

“Your hair is getting wild,” she said, “are you growing it out?”

“My curls never looked like yours,” he said, tugging on the end of her hair and she smiled at him. People smiled at Isaac, they'd never smiled at Daniel. Isaac pushed Daniel back with his dead family and tried to kick the door shut, but Daniel shouted with a voice that sounded like his father.

"You'll still always be an Omega. I never was!"


	10. Reunions...of sorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three different reunions.

Peter, Boyd, and Erica were met at the airport by the rest of his pack. John had borrowed a large, passenger van and piled them all in. They had made obnoxious signs reading: _Welcome back from rehab, 6 th time’s the charm!_(Kira), _Sorry I burned down your apartment_ (Scott), _I’m pregnant! It’s yours!_ (John), _Your parole officer says hi!_ (Malia), _I slept with your daughter_ (Isaac), and _Welcome home Boyd and Erica!_ (Stiles)

The pack howled like chimps and got some laughs and dirty looks from passengers as Peter and his two travel-weary Betas paused in shock for a moment and then rushed the group, tackling and hugging them in a giant mass of arms and poster board. Derek had come along as well but had waited in the van. When Peter opened the door, he held up his own sign, _I drank your wine, Sorry._ He got out and hugged his uncle, Boyd and Erica. John tolerated the yelling and talking until they got out of the airport and he finally threatened them with ‘no drive-thru’ if they didn’t quiet down.

The van stopped for fried chicken and they all massed in a group at Peter’s apartment. Isaac felt better once Peter was home. His Alpha gripped the back of his neck, tightly and hugged him again once they got inside.

“How’s my favorite Beta?” The question received shouts of outrage from the rest of the crew. “Isaac can’t help being perfect, you shouldn’t hold it against him.” They ate and talked about their travels and then Peter told them about the very few crumbs of information he’d found while down there. He and John got into conversation about further leads while Boyd and Erica unpacked souvenirs for everyone.

Boyd and Isaac talked about the beach, and a boat trip they’d taken, while Erica sat on Stiles’s lap and told Kira and Malia about the food.

“I wish I could still get drunk,” she said.

“You can if you ask Argent sometime,” Peter piped up. “He’d have been found out a long time ago if he hadn’t come up with a tincture that can temporarily inhibit our healing abilities.”

“Really?” Stiles looked curious.

“It takes time to get the dilution right, but it helps if you need to pass for human. He and my older brother tested it by taking shots of vodka and waiting to see if they felt anything.”

“That’s pretty smart,” John said, thoughtfully. “Probably more pleasant than slitting your wrist every few minutes.” Isaac laughed with the others and remembered his question to Argent about an ingestible version, and how he’d been shut down without a clear answer.

“I never got more than a buzz, but the temptation has been there,” Peter said. “What about you, Derek?”

“Why did nobody ever tell me about this?” Derek looked irritated. All three travelers plead fatigue, and to no one’s surprise, Erica and Boyd left together. Derek took Isaac back to the apartment, and John drove Kira and Scott home.

“You guys are probably going to be gross,” Malia said once she, Stiles and Peter were alone, “but I’ve had the place to myself long enough, I can hang elsewhere for the night.” She held up a set of keys. “I’m crashing at your old shoebox, Stiles.”

“I’ve got months left on the lease, I’m glad someone is using it. It can definitely be the sexiling shoe box.”

“Whatever,” Malia said, rolling her eyes. “If I'm not too ashamed of it, it'll be my sex shoe box for the night. I should probably find my own place, anyway.”

“I don’t want you to feel you need to move out,” Peter said.

“Yeah, well, I don’t need you banging on the bedroom door when I bring someone home and we get too noisy for your geriatric ass.”

“It was one time!” Peter argued but hugged his daughter and bade her goodnight.

Stiles hugged Peter again once they were alone and kissed him slowly. “I missed you, Boy.” Peter tightened his hands in Stiles’s hair. “I hope Argent didn’t leave you too loosened up.”

“You were just in Brazil, the hot-people capital of the world,” Stiles argued. “Are you telling me you didn’t bang your way through a swarm of beautiful bodies there?”

“Oh, I did. And I don’t mind telling you sometime about a _reposa prateada_ I met while I was there.”

“I didn’t know you were into silver foxes.”

“I didn’t know you speak Portuguese.”

“I speak man-love in several languages. I definitely learned it in the language of the hottest nation in the world.” The Omega smiled. “I’ve missed you, Brazilians or no Brazilians.”

“Missed you too.” He kissed the younger man and they cuddled on the couch. Mental exhaustion got the better of him, and Stiles snuggled up to him in bed to sleep.

“Want me to wake you with cinnamon buns?”

“Wake me any way you like. Other than with cold water. My sister used to do that.” Peter shuddered.

“Anything else is fair game?”

“Yes.”

“Ditto, for future reference.” They pulled the covers over themselves and Stiles spooned the wolf, wrapping an arm around his waist. They both drifted off peacefully as the sounds of the city were muffled by the height of the apartment building.

~

Isaac and Derek got back to the apartment, but after a few minutes of prowling restlessly, Isaac grabbed the keys to the borrowed sedan he usually drove.

“Forget something?”

“Nah, too keyed up. I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be home late, so don’t wait up.”

~

Peter’s exhaustion kept him in a drowsy state, but his senses sluggishly reported their observations. He was alone in the bed and someone was cooking with butter, sugar, yeast, and cinnamon. He smushed his face into the pillow with a smile and dropped back to sleep with the knowledge that the dough needed to rise before baking so he had some more time to sleep. He barely noticed the return of the cinnamon-smelling Omega, and only sighed in contentment when the covers were pulled back and a still-warm body slid in beside him.

Peter felt hands caressing him, and his muzzy brain responded instinctively. His wolf was hungry for touch, closeness, and reached for the warm body. His hands encountered bare flesh on a lean, muscular frame. He embraced the body and pulled it close to him as impatient hands pushed down his pajama pants so their naked limbs could tangle together. A soft mouth at his throat and he tipped his head back, enjoying the vulnerability as he raised his top leg and rested it on his lover’s hip. He felt the hand caress his thigh and ass as another hard cock rubbed against his. The hand tightened on his knee as the mattress depressed behind him, and the familiar scent of another lover washed over.

Peter was held firmly by the lean, tight body in front of him and lips found his. They kissed, and the taste of _Stiles_. Behind him, a broader, harder body pressed close. Teeth pressed against his nape and rough hands ran up his back and shoulders. He let out a happy moan as Stiles’s long fingers folded around his cock. He started to move his leg down, but Stiles made a protesting whine and tightened his grip on Peter’s knee. The other hands tightened in his hair and pulled his head back, turning it until his mouth was taken and he tasted _Chris_.

Chris’s fingers, slick with lube now, pressed between Peter’s cheeks. Peter heard the deep rumble, warning him to remain still while his pucker was rubbed and then probed. With ample lube, the rough stretch made it better. A third finger was added after a few thrusts while Stiles continued to fondle him. He was feeling warm, and they shed the covers as limbs grew sweaty and slippery. He relaxed into the attention, with Stiles gentle touches along his front and Chris’s rougher treatment behind.

A thick, broad erection prodded at Peter’s hole and began to push inside. He grunted and bore down on it as Chris tightened his grip on the back of his neck, and Peter growled a warning as he was pulled from Stiles’s kiss. Chris let out a snarl and tightened his other hand on Peter’s hip as he made a hard, rough thrust inside. Teeth snapped at the back of his neck and he arched his back, tilting his ass and whimpering in supplication. Chris rocked into him, bullying his full girth into Peter until he was buried deep.

In front of him, Peter felt Stiles’s mouth trail down his chest and belly. He lifted Peter’s leg and moved until he rested the Alpha’s thigh on his shoulder. As Chris began to thrust, in long, slow but hard pumps of his hips, Peter’s erection went between Stiles’s lips. The plush, slick warmth of the Omega’s mouth sucking gently while his hands caressed Peter’s balls in stark contrast to the rougher dicking he was getting from Chris overwhelmed him. He wanted to caress one and growl and snap at the other in turn, but he also didn’t want either one to stop so he just went still. Chris got a better grip on his neck and sped up, keeping his pace steady and hard. Stiles’s mouth relaxed and let Chris push Peter’s cock deep into his throat. He let go, embraced the Omega’s gentle touches and his passive acceptance of Peter’s cock, and equally the dominant display behind him.

Peter came so hard he saw stars. He felt Chris stiffen and pulse inside of him, tightening his teeth just a tiny bit more before releasing him. Peter panted as Stiles crawled up his body and just as he began to kiss the Omega, they heard a beep from the kitchen.

“Cinnamon bun dough waits for no one,” Stiles croaked. “Be right back.” He pulled on a pair of shorts and gingerly tugged the waistband over his erection before walking stiff-legged out the door. Chris rolled his hips, pressing in before sliding out.

“Missed you,” Chris said, rubbing his beard against Peter’s neck.

“You too. How’s Isaac? I’ve been worried.”

“I can’t give details, but I think we’re making progress. He’s definitely not out of the woods yet. I’m not sure yet what his breaking point is, but I think we’re close.”

“You’re sure you need to break him?”

“When Duke reached out, he had a hard time. Derek’s trying, and Isaac’s not asking him for anything he doesn’t want, but he spiraled so rapidly, I worry about him.”

“I think we all know what’s going to happen next.”

“Yeah.”

Stiles pressed out the risen dough and spread the mixture of softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. He rolled and sliced the dough, placed it on the pan, and preheated the oven while it did its final proofing. He was still horny, and half-boned in his boxers, but he knew how tired Peter was. When Chris had arrived, the wolf told him that Peter remained asleep. They came up with a plan to welcome their lover home. He’d really enjoyed being passive while getting his face fucked. Lately he hadn’t been as into topping, but he was pretty sure it was his inner Omega being greedy. He went weeks sometimes when he just wanted to shove his dick into a slick, tight hole and hold someone down. Other times, he wanted to bury his face in pussy and motorboat a set of breasts. Since he started seeing Peter and Chris, he felt content to just take it from them.

Stiles cleaned up the kitchen and then put the tray in the oven. He went to the bathroom down the hall and checked his phone, giving Chris and Peter a chance to catch up. He had a text from Derek.

From Derek- _Is Isaac with you, or have you heard from him?_

To Derek- _No, what’s wrong?_

From Derek- _After we got back to the apartment, he left saying he was going out and he didn’t come home didn’t call. I texted him earlier, but I haven’t gotten a reply. VM picked up on first ring._

To Derek- _Did you have plans today?_

From Derek- _No, I’m just being Mama Wolf._

To Derek- _I’m with Chris and Peter at Peter’s place. I’ll ask them if he said anything._

Stiles went back through the kitchen and saw Chris coming out of the bedroom wearing jeans and a t-shirt but with adorably mussed beard. The Alpha smiled at him.

“Did you see Isaac last night?” he asked, frowning. “He was here last night and left with Derek, but he…” Stiles trailed off when he saw the guilty flash across Chris’s face, “-he left again and didn’t come home. Derek’s worried because it’s not like him, and he didn’t call.” He pressed his lips together as Chris’s shoulders slumped. “Chris, are you fucking my brother?”

“No.” He shook his head.

~

Previous night:

Isaac knocked on Chris’s door and the hunter answered promptly.

“I’ve had three text messages in the last hour from members of your pack wanting to get drunk,” he said, looking disappointed.

“They weren’t as smart as me. I came right to the source.”

“They were being polite.”

“Point taken, sorry for disrupting your evening.” Isaac waited, shifting from foot to foot. “Can you please tell me more about it?”

“Come in.” Isaac sat on the couch and waited while Chris went to the basement and came back up with an amber bottle that had condensation on the outside. Then he went to the freezer and got out a nearly full handle of vodka and two glasses. “We do this slowly.”

~

“He came to my house last night and wanted to get drunk.” Chris looked embarrassed. “Once we found the right dilution for him…I decided he shouldn’t drink alone.”

“Where is he?”

“Enjoying his first hangover.”

“Why don’t you have one?”

“I didn’t drink as much.”

“So are you still…a wolf or are you more like a human? Are you all weak and pitiful like the rest of us? Do you need a Viagra to help me out since you left me hanging?” He grabbed his crotch and gave it a tug

“Peter,” Chris said, not taking his icy eyes of Stiles. Stiles didn’t hear the reply, but he got the impression Chris did. “When the timer goes off in twenty-eight minutes, you need to come get whatever Stiles is baking out of the oven.” He grabbed the back of his shirt collar and tugged it over his head. “I’m afraid our Omega’s going to be otherwise occupied.” He took a step towards Stiles and then paused, glancing back towards the bathroom. “If you want to watch, you’ll need to come out here…No, I’m afraid this lesson can’t wait.” He unbuckled his belt and slipped it through the loops. 

~

The pounding in Isaac’s head woke him. He attempted to open his eyes, but it felt like his lids were glued on. He had a pile of garbage in his mouth and tried to spit it out only to realize it was his own tongue. He groaned and instantly regretted it because his throat was sore and felt swollen. He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to shake feeling back into them and when that failed, he sat up, placing his feet on the floor. At first, he thought he’d fallen asleep with his shoes on, which activated his survival instincts, since he was sleeping on Chris Argent’s couch and had a feeling that shoes on the furniture was a hanging offense. He peeled his eyes open and despite his blurred vision, he could see that his feet were bare. So were his legs, and the rest of him except a pair of boxers.

“Fuck me,” Isaac slurred with a tongue that didn’t work. He lifted his feet and put them down again in succession and frowned. He could kind of feel them, but it was like the sensations were muffled or numbed. _Watch for numbness and rapid heartrate._ He was fairly sure he remembered Chris saying this, but he’d been pretty drunk. He smiled to himself until his lips cracked and then he winced. He stumbled to the kitchen and tried to put his head under the faucet, but Argent’s house had a fancy, intuitive, faucet that had to be turned on, and then turned on again, and then its sensors would decide if your hands-or other body parts-were in the right place to turn on.

The Omega’s head pounded with a _thump-thump_ that was audible as he fumbled with the faucet. Eventually he gave up and turned to the gleaming, stainless steel refrigerator. It was clean and free of fingerprints and magnets like the one at the apartment. It indicated more of the lack of connection that Argent had with the physical world around him, but it also showed a large shape reflected behind him that moved.

Isaac spun, and promptly vomited. At least, he tried to, but could only manage dry-heaves while Allison Argent stared coldly at him.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, Allison's not the bad guy. She definitely isn't being very open-minded, but can you blame her? If I found out my dad was sleeping with one of my friends from high school, I'd be pissed. If I dropped in and found a nearly naked guy who looks like he's a teenager in his kitchen, I might also jump to a conclusion.


	11. Mama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward conversations are harder when you've poisoned yourself

_“There’s a good boy! You can come out and sit by Mama if you want.” Shy, but lonely, the Were crept out from the closet. Somewhere in his mind, he craved this, missed it, and wanted what she was offering. He slunk over and put his head down near her leg where she knelt on the floor. He’d been nervous, and he’d done something on the carpet she wouldn’t like, but she didn’t seem angry. He pressed against her side softly, and when her arm came around him, more insistently and leaned into her. “That’s my beautiful Baby. See? It’s okay. You’re not in trouble. You’re perfect and wonderful.”_

Isaac had the same feeling now as he did back when he’d first lived with Allison. He’d been bad. He’d trespassed. He’d brought a mess-namely himself-into her space. He liked it when her dad beat him and jerked off on him afterwards. He was filled with shame for being caught in his boxers, but his head throbbed too much to think about it.

“How does the faucet work?” he rasped.

“There’s a small switch at the base. That will turn off the intuitive sensor, and then just pull the handle…no, out to the side. Yep, that’s it. Back and forth gets you hot and cold.”

Isaac found the experience of splashing cold water on his face both refreshing and painful. He hadn’t heard Allison come in and couldn’t smell her. He wondered if this was what being human was like. It had been pretty cool for a while last night, but then it had sucked. Scooping water into his mouth to rinse out the bitter bile taste made his teeth hurt. He smelled coffee and would have been happy to see how caffeine really worked, but Argent apparently cleaned up after himself so there was none in the pot. He tried to think of what people usually did in this situation.

“Aspirin?” 

“Who are you and why are you here?”

“So that’s a no on the aspirin?”

“I’ve got Advil in my purse.” She made no move to get it. He turned and went to the fridge and opened it, taking out some of the fancy mineral water Chris liked. He drank it slowly since his stomach was cramping. When he finished the water, he set the empty bottle on the counter. She raised an eyebrow and her expression darkened. He picked it up again.

“Where’s the recycle bin?” She pointed and he fished around until he found the pull-out drawer with the bin and put it inside. He turned back around, and she was holding a small bottle.

“Who are you and why are you here?” She rattled it while she asked. “They’re the fast-acting liquicaps.”

“Who are _you_ and why are _you_ here?”

“I’m Allison, Chris’s daughter.”

“The one who moved out?” he asked, because his head hurt. She pressed her lips together and started to put the bottle back in her purse.

“I should let the cops handle this, you look like a squatter,” she said, mildly.

“You’re bluffing, and your dad will be pissed if you keep alienating his friends. You know the security here is too good for a vagrant to squat.” He started to smile but his lips hurt. He pointed to her purse and made ‘gimmie’ fingers at it. “My name is Isaac…” he trailed off and she brought the bottle out again, but she tilted her head to the side, waiting. “I had too much to drink and your dad wouldn’t let me drive home.” She handed over the bottle.

“Where’s my dad?”

“I don’t know.” He was embarrassed because he didn’t know how many of the bright blue capsules he should take, so he improvised. “What’s the usual dosage for these liquid ones?”

“How bad’s the hangover?”

“I don’t like telling strangers my business, but I’m bargaining for Advil.”

“Up to four.” He took out four and popped them in his mouth. Then he went back to the faucet for another hit of water because they looked like they would be sweet, but they weren’t.

“You’ve never taken Advil?”

“Tylenol and aspirin,” he replied, wishing his brain worked well enough to recall things people said about over-the-counter pain relievers.

“I grew up on the stuff,” Allison replied, and when Isaac gave her a strange look, she added, “Gymnastics, I was always getting hurt.” She seemed to let down her guard, but of the two of them, only she was fully dressed.

“Pants,” he said and stumbled to the sofa where he sat down and shook out his rumpled jeans.

“Vodka,” she replied and touched a fingertip to the bottle sitting on the coffee table. “And no glass. You were hitting it pretty hard last night.”

“I started out with a glass, but your dad took it and the bottle away when he went to bed.” He stood up and put on his shirt, not sure how he felt about her eyes flickering over his bare chest more than once. “Apparently, I decided it wasn’t necessary.”

“How do you know my dad?”

“Through mutual friends.” He saw her stiffen. “Law enforcement connections; I’m not an addict trying to rob him,” he said, letting her think he believed that would be her first guess. “Do you have a charger for an iPhone?”

“Dad might have one in his office.” She gestured to the stairs. She clearly wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t a rent boy but had enough manners and sense to know it would be bad to accuse a stranger who could be perfectly innocent. She followed him up the stairs and he turned the knob on Chris’s office door, hoping the man hadn’t left out anything he didn’t want Allison to see. The door wasn’t locked, and she pushed past him, went in first and found a charger on the bookshelf. Isaac plugged in his phone and set it down. He eyed the landline on the desk, but he didn’t have anyone’s phone numbers memorized. He excused himself, took a marathon pee in the guest bathroom, and washed his hands, horrified by his appearance in the mirror. His lower back was stiff and twinging too, which was a new and unpleasant sensation. He couldn’t find a comfortable position to stand in, so he slumped into the chair when he returned to the office.

“What?” He threw up his hands; Allison was staring at him.

“Have we met?” her brow furrowed.

“No.” _Shiiiiiiit!_ Allison shouldn’t remember him. Peter had blurred his face in her memories.

“You look familiar. Maybe I’ve seen you in a photo or something.” She shook her head.

“I just moved here.” This answer proved to make her more suspicious, not less.

“Why are you drinking here? Dad’s not usually one for hosting underage drinking parties, certainly not for strangers.”

“I’m not underage, I’m hungover. What’s with the questions?”

“Doesn’t explain why you’re _here._ Do your parents know?”

“They’re dead.” He tapped his fingers on the desk and looked out the window. “Whole family. And I don’t actually have to explain anything to you.” He tried to use a gently corrective tone that Chris sometimes employed to stop people from getting defensive.

“Oh.”

“Long story.” The raspiness in his voice must’ve conveyed more complex emotions than fear because her face softened a bit. Isaac pulled up his texts and saw a dozen from Derek and then Stiles. He sent one to Derek, telling them he just woke up and that his phone was totally dead. He told him where he was, and that Allison was there, and he didn’t know what to do because he was still drunk. Then he sent one to Chris telling him Allison was at the house and asking questions.

“Do you want me to give you a ride?”

“I think I’ll be okay now that I’ve got my phone.” He looked at the phone she held in her hand now. “Did you call your dad to ask him where he was?” She didn’t answer. “Does he know you’re here?”

“No.”

“An early morning surprise visit?” He raised his eyebrows. “Trying to catch him with a new girlfriend?” Her gaze sharpened.

“You don’t know anything about us.”

“Sure.” He didn’t break eye contact when he said it. She narrowed her eyes at him, but his phone beeped and he looked down.

From Derek- _I’m on my way, don’t answer questions. You might contradict Chris._

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Allison, I’m still drunk, ignore everything I’m saying.” He sent a text to Chris telling him that Derek was on his way to get him because he might have finished the vodka and still couldn’t walk a straight line. Also that he was going to try and avoid any questions from Allison. “My roommate is coming to get me so you can have the house to yourself again.” He pushed out of the chair and left the room, going back to pee again, not understanding why he had to do it right after emptying about a gallon of urine out of it just a few minutes earlier. He dawdled, washing his hands and splashing more water on his face, which unfortunately made no improvement on his appearance.

“I didn’t mean to attack you,” Allison said when he came back. “I haven’t seen dad in person for a few weeks and then I get here, and some homeless-looking kid is sleeping on his couch with an empty handle of vodka.”

“What about me screams homeless?” he asked. Lydia was his personal stylist, after all.

“You could use a few meals.”

“I eat like a horse,” he said, defensively. “I’m six-two and I’m a runner, I’d try harder to keep weight on, but I do have to sleep sometimes.” He unplugged his phone and managed to make it down the stairs without falling where he started to pick up the clutter he’d left in the living room. He folded the blanket, picked up the empty bottle, and the hunting magazines he’d attempted to read the night before…apparently. Eventually he ran out of things to do and stumbled to the door, where he saw a dark grey SUV boxing his sedan in. He turned and looked at her accusingly. “You didn’t want the mystery woman to be able to leave without getting a chance to interrogate her?”

“I thought you might have been someone else.” The Camaro screamed around the corner and up the driveway. Derek put it into park and Isaac felt warmth in his belly for the entrance. Derek was wearing snug jeans, his leather jacket, and sunglasses. He got out of the car and walked over to Isaac. He was so Goddamned handsome his anxiety was eclipsed by it. In contrast, Isaac’s usual pretty boy charm was nonexistent and replaced by an oily troll who probably smelled like sour vomit. The Alpha paused and looked at the two vehicles.

“Thanks for coming, Derek.” Isaac was sheepish, but the Alpha’s gaze turned to the girl beside him.

“Couldn’t find a better parking place?” he asked in a flat voice. Isaac knew he was more nervous than hostile.

“I thought he might be robbing the place,” Allison said.

“Move your car, please.” He turned to the Omega. “Give me your keys. I’m leaving them with the car so maybe Chris or Stiles can bring it back when they leave Peter’s.” Isaac sneaked a look at Allison who froze when Derek mentioned her father and Stiles. Derek ignored her and walked to the sedan, opened the door and put the key in the console.

“My dad is with Stiles?” Allison’s face was a mask of anger. Isaac saw Derek over Allison’s shoulder as he stalked back towards them. His limbs loosened and his lips tightened as he approached his weakened packmate and the hunter who was getting testy.

“You’re just like Kate.” He spoke quietly, but Allison recoiled like she’d been slapped. “She used to sneak around, tailing her brother all the time. Now you’re doing the same thing to your dad.”

“Stiles was my best friend from high school!” she yelled.

“When was the last time you’d hung out with him? How much energy did you spend on him in the last five years, Allison?” She was speechless for a moment. He went on with a lighter tone and put up his hands placatingly. “You grew apart; it’s okay, it happens, and nobody needs to feel guilty about it. But your friends don’t have to apologize for the way they’ve changed in your absence. They owed you nothing.” He turned to Isaac. “Can you walk straight?”

“I can’t even see straight.” Derek helped him to the passenger side of the Camaro, opened the door and helped him balance as he lumbered in. He walked around to the driver’s door.

Derek seemed okay until he reached the first stoplight, and then his hands started to shake.

“Thank you for coming to get me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you.”

“I’m not the one who was her pet,” Derek replied. “I’d have been shitting myself if I were you.” He ruffled Isaac’s hair. “How are you feeling?”

“I took four Advil, but I don’t think they’re working.”

“Did you eat anything?”

“No.”

“You shouldn’t take those on an empty stomach…if you’re temporarily suspending your healing abilities. It can give you an upset stomach.”

“I will love you forever if we get drive-thru, and I’ll blow you if you have lip balm. My lips are cracked. They’ve never done that without a fist or severe malnourishment to help them along.”

“Was it worth it?” he asked, opening the console, and taking out a tin of lip balm and another one of mints.

“Is my breath that bad?”

“That depends, did you clean Argent’s toilet with your tongue?” Isaac popped a few of the mints and chewed them ruthlessly but regretted it when he licked his lips. He whimpered in misery as he rubbed the balm into his poor, abused mouth. Derek pulled into _Spudnuts_ and Isaac almost cried when he got a coffee and six donuts handed to him. Derek paid and then pulled around, placing his hand over the bag and cup. “Hold on till we’re on the main road. If you spill coffee in my car, my dick will be the _most_ pleasant thing you suck up with your mouth.”

Derek’s face was tense with irritation and Isaac leaned his head back against the headrest and thought about Derek’s text messages.

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Why did you feel the need to get drunk?”

“I wanted to feel numb, I guess.”

“I’m told it doesn’t really work like that.”

“It doesn’t stop a lot of people from trying.” Isaac sipped the coffee and burned his mouth. “This sucks. To answer your question, I think the knowledge was important, but not the experience.”

“You’re probably only feeling a little bit of the vodka right now, but you look and smell like you’ve got a wolfsbane hangover. It’s your body processing the toxin through your liver and kidneys that has you feeling like crap.” He looked Isaac up and down. “The vodka certainly didn’t help.”

~

Chris called when Isaac was just lying down to sleep. He groaned, but answered anyway, rubbing his head and squinting at the screen in order to figure out how to answer it.

“Hey,” he said.

“Isaac?”

“What’s left of me, anyway.” He heard Chris chuckle, briefly. “I’m guessing you got my text.”

“Yes, Peter’s with me, we’re going to pick up your car and he’ll drive it back to the apartment.” Chris paused. “I’ll deal with Allison. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I woke up and she was there in the kitchen. I think I avoided most of her questions. She was focused on how we knew each other. I just told her that it was through mutual friends in law enforcement. I didn’t want to say it was through John because she knows he’s only had one son.”

“She’s the one who showed up unannounced, you were my guest.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, if I’d had any idea, I wouldn’t have left.”

“I just didn’t know what to tell her when she asked where you were.”

“You could’ve showed her the note.”

“What note?”

~

Chris pulled into his driveway and Peter got out beside him. They stood looking at each other quietly.

“You know I’ll have to talk to her. Isaac was in no condition to monitor what he said.” Peter looked apologetic.

“I should’ve changed the locks.”

“I should’ve insisted on my Betas having better manners than to hound you for booze.” Peter was being kind, but it was careless for Chris to have a hunter daughter who knew Weres and be close to her own former pet Were. There just wasn’t enough reason to kill her or bring her into the circle of trust. They didn’t need to verbalize to each other where Allison was in the house or what their plan was. She’d moved her car around the block, and still hadn’t called or texted her father. By her heartbeat, they knew she was in Chris’s office.

“Okay. I guess we should do this.” Chris wasn’t thrilled when he walked into his house. He looked back at Peter who gave him a sympathetic look. “Are you sure?”

“I’d like her to get used to you.”

“Thanks.” Peter followed his friend inside and loudly began telling Chris his joke about the two nuns and the vampire. He included the hand motions and Chris let out a genuine guffaw when he got to the punchline because when you told the joke live, you couldn’t help but laugh. He called out to Isaac, who didn’t answer, of course. 

“Derek must’ve picked him up.”

“So, we have the house to ourselves?” They started kissing slowly and languidly while hugging and squeezing each other and enjoying the touch and closeness. They moved to the couch when they heard Allison move to the top of the stairs. She was incredibly quiet, but her heartbeat gave her away to the wolves. Peter opened his eyes and pulled away, tapping Chris on the shoulder. “We have company,” he said, nodding to Allison who was leaning in the doorway to the living room. She had her arms folded and was averting her eyes.

“Allison?”

“Hi.”

“You didn’t call.” He sat up. “Is everything okay?”  
  


“I’m fine, and also regretting that decision for more reasons than you might think.” Her head was resting on the doorway. “Sorry for interrupting,” she mumbled.

“Not at all.” Peter stood up, adjusted himself discreetly, and walked over to her with a smile. “Peter Hale. I’ve heard a lot about you from Chris.” He reached out a hand and Allison straightened up and took it.

“Hi,” she repeated, looking uncomfortable, but oddly humble. “Do you live here? In Beacon Hills, I mean.”

“Yes. My whole family’s originally from here, but it’s just my nephew Derek and me, now.”

“Derek?” She paled slightly.

“Yes, he lives in an apartment near here with some friends. You’re in L.A. right?” Peter was smiling charmingly, but Chris remained silent.

“Most of the time.”

“That’s nice. I’m going to step outside and call Isaac, I’ll be right back.” He started to turn away.

“He said his family’s dead,” she blurted out. She seemed to catch herself when Peter’s smile cooled, slightly. “It’s none of my business. Sorry.” Peter looked at her for another moment and then back at Chris.

“It’s not really my place to talk about Isaac’s family,” he said, stiffly and walked outside.

“I see Isaac’s car is still here,” he said.

“He was passed out on the couch in his underwear when I got here.” She didn’t say anything when he pulled up his text messages.

“I missed some texts, I didn’t think he’d be up this early.” He frowned and looked up at the refrigerator. “I left him a note, but it doesn’t look like he got it.”

“I took it,” Allison said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. “When I saw it…he looked really young. I thought you were bringing home rent boys or picking up impressionable high schoolers.” She handed it back to him. “I’m sorry.” Chris read his note and laughed.

_I’m over at Westfield Commons. I’ll be back in a few hours. Help yourself to the fridge and when I get back we can talk about last night if you want._

“Okay. I can see how that would sound if you walked in to see a young guy in his underwear and that note.”

“I should’ve called.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“A few reasons. I thought you might try to make dinner plans, and I didn’t want to commit to anything. I also wasn’t sure how I was feeling about a bunch of stuff. I kind of wanted to hang out in town, maybe get a hotel room and think. L.A. was feeling pretty crowded this week.”

“Have you thought more about getting a house?” He was still a dad. “It’s not like you can’t afford one...or five”

“It’s a little overwhelming. Having that much money, and even though we didn’t make any kind of statement, it seems like everyone knows and I’m getting hounded by total strangers looking for an investor in a ‘great opportunity’.”

“That’s why I’m updating the security system.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe Lydia can put you up for a short time. I’m sure she’d love to give you advice.”

“I was snappy with her when she…when she was staying here.”

“There’s a new bakery in town, it’s one of the places that’s taken over where the old movie theater was. She likes their cheese Danishes.” He watched her nod and keep her eyes on the floor.

“What was Kate like?” The question surprised Chris and he scooted over so she could join him on the couch. “She was like an older sister to me, but…I know she was a troublemaker, and she wasn’t a very nice person to other people, but I’m getting the impression that I’m the _only_ one who ever saw her good side.”

“Kate was a sociopath. She was narcissistic, maybe had one or several personality disorders, but she was very much a product of the environment she was raised in. She was deeply, irreparably insecure and no amount of love and attention could stop her from lashing out if she felt hurt by something you said or did. The more challenged her self-image was at any time, the more volatile she could be. On a good day she’d lash out at someone disagreeing with her or correcting her in front of others with a shallow dig, or she’d get defensive, other times, if she thought she had a great idea and you weren’t passionately supporting it, she’d get angry and start screaming at you that you were an idiot who thought you were better than her.”

“What about Gerard?”

“I think Gerard was beyond caring for anyone. I think he used everyone around him for his own personal gain and if it suited his purposes to sell you out, and he thought he could get away with it, he’d have done it.” Allison looked hurt.

“You can’t see yourself as lacking because a sociopath can’t love you. It’s not in their nature. He was proud of you selfishly, but it pleased him to spend time with you and he enjoyed your company. You can’t mistake that for love, but it’s more than most people got.”

“How did you handle that?”

“I learned to let it go. My mother warned me not to try and get close to him, and _your_ mother was smart enough to keep him from having any influence on you when you were young.”

“I miss Kate sometimes. In spite of being awful, she listened to me talk about my problems for hours.” She frowned. “Maybe it suited her purposes.”

“I don’t doubt she cared for you, and maybe hearing that you had problems made her happy, or maybe she liked the idea that you trusted her. You looked up to her, and I think she wanted good things for you.”

“I miss Mom too.”

“I understand.”

“If she were still alive would you have been…?”

“I loved your mother and I was happy. I’d like to think we’d still be married if she’d survived the crash.” He saw the look on her face. “No, I never told her I’m bisexual. Yes, I knew since I was in my teens. No, for all of her wonderful qualities, I don’t think she could’ve accepted that about me.”

“I’m sorry you had to hide it.” She cleared her throat. “Do you know Isaac because his roommate, Derek is Peter’s nephew?”

“Isaac lives with Peter’s nephew, correct.” Chris nodded. “I’d met him before that, but it’s because of Peter that I started mentoring Isaac.”

“About what?”

“Isaac shared with you that his family’s dead, so I’ll just tell you that it’s related to that. I’m not violating his privacy and giving you more information about his training, no matter what you might think of me.” He nodded to the note she still held. “I _can_ say that the note has absolutely nothing to do with sex, and I’m not having sex with Isaac.” He saw her take a few painful-looking breaths.

“It isn’t up to me who you date,” she began with a shaking voice, “and Stiles is an adult and can make his own decisions. Whether or not you get involved with him again, or another guy who’s younger than me is your choice, but it’s not the same thing as being none of my business.” Chris closed his mouth and gave a slight nod. “I was plenty busy for the last few years, but I probably avoided Beacon Hills unconsciously because of Mom, and because you know John Stilinski, and because Stiles worked with Weres, I can’t be surprised that you started hanging out together.” She paused, clearly with more to say so Chris nodded again.

“I agree that who your father dates, _isn’t_ something that should be considered ‘none of your business’.” He scratched his chin. “What made you think Stiles and I were dating?”

“You were colder, quieter when we dropped off that wild Were we caught near the school. I thought it was Scott you didn’t like, and you seemed edgy the night of the first break in, but then you guys ended up going through that, and then when Stiles told me about Kate, I talked to her. She said she thought Stiles was hiding something about that night and that you were in on it because she’d seen you together a few times.” She rubbed her face with an embarrassed look.

“What?” Chris asked.

“I was cruising a message board forum about relationship advice, and the same situations pop up all the time.”

“A middle-aged divorced or widowed guy suddenly paying a lot of attention to his daughter’s friends?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“It’s my own fault for being so antisocial with everyone else.” He laughed and then thought about it. “If I’d been dating Lydia, would it have changed things?”

“Yes. Not as much because she’s a girl, and because it’s more common for a May-December romance, but because Lydia would eat you alive.” They both chuckled a little and Allison relaxed. “Stiles was really depressed for a while because he kept meeting people who seemed really nice but were only interested in dating an Omega. Some of them were wealthier older guys. He said he felt like he was on a checklist for men who weren’t ready to come out of the closet. He felt like he was a steppingstone because they didn’t consider him a woman or a man.”

“That must’ve been hard on him.”

“This is probably TMI, but he said he avoided women, and tops for a long time because he didn’t want anyone to know. He hated that part of his identity because he didn’t consider himself intersex, he considered himself a man. I thought you were having a mid-life gay crisis and that you were making Stiles promises so you could keep your straight, widower identity.”

“Why were you angry at Stiles?”

“Because I felt like the age difference, and your job meant you two could never go public and that he was being an idiot, and when you got over your crisis, things would be awkward.” She scratched her nose. “It was selfish because I’d have to take sides.”

“It’s not an uncomplicated situation.”

“I’m not trying to belittle him, because I’ve always thought anyone would be lucky to have him in their lives, but it felt like there were so many people you could have dated, and that you weren’t considering how this would affect me.”

“You’re right. I was being selfish.” Chris could smell Allison’s anger and frustration, but she wasn’t lying about her feelings. “This might be TMI, but I was a jerk to him. I’ve dated men since your mom died, and I didn’t plan to pursue Stiles because of obvious reasons, but he really grew on me. Unfortunately, I didn’t handle it well, and instead of moving towards a friendship with him, I was scared that someone would guess how I felt.”

“How did you get together?”

“I surprised him on a trip to Vegas. It was presumptuous, but I was so drawn to him, I felt like I really wanted to see if there was any chemistry. There was, and I planned to explain how I couldn’t be out publicly until you had taken over the company, but then Kate showed up unexpectedly and I panicked.”

“Ohmygod!” Allison’s mouth dropped open. “She really _was_ stalking you.” Allison looked upset and angry on his behalf and Chris let his shoulders sag. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

“She just never, ever let up. It was exhausting, I never had any peace when she was around, and it got worse when your mother died. Victoria actually protected me from her.” He laughed bitterly. “I miss her; your mother, I mean.” Allison nodded. “Anyway, I feel so stupid, but I was too afraid of Kate seeing Stiles, so I avoided him. I didn’t have his number in my new phone, and I was too afraid to ask anyone for it.”

“You ghosted him?”

“Yes, but then we…saw each other casually again, and I was a jerk that time, too. It was just after we caught that Were, and I went to see him to apologize. Party because I was genuinely sorry, but also because I was afraid he’d tell you. It was really shallow, and I felt terrible.”

“Did he dump your old ass after that?”

“We weren’t dating. But the night of the break in…” He knew he looked guilty.

“Without giving me bad details, how did the real story differ from the one you told the authorities?”

“We stopped to…chat before we got to the shelter.” He cleared his throat. “He did call me for help after I dropped him off. I shot the intruder when Stiles’s life was in danger.”

“Did you ever find Baby?” She looked like the thought had just popped into her head, suddenly, and that her question was almost involuntary. She shook her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was thinking of the shelter and it made me think of him.” She rubbed her ear and they both heard the front door open. “I was thinking of him, earlier, too.” Chris saw Peter walking back inside with a smile. “I’m sorry, I was rude earlier.”

“The note I left was actually a little misleading.” He handed it to Peter. “She came in and Isaac was on the couch in his underwear with an empty vodka bottle.” The other Alpha laughed.

“I spoke to him, but the way. He feels about as poorly as he deserves after drinking that much. He said he’d call you once he could remember how to spell.”

“He’s a good kid.”

“I swear I’ve met him before.”

“I don’t want to push things, Allison, but would you like to join us for dinner tonight? I was going to cook a nice Portuguese pork stew and bake some bread. There’s enough for an army, but we’re not having a big crowd if you’re still uncomfortable.”

“What time?” she asked, surprising Chris.

“Six-thirty or seven.” Allison’s eye rolled up a little and she looked thoughtful.

“Can I bring anything?” She glanced at her dad. “I’ve heard good things about a new bakery in town.” She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Isaac to encounter Allison and for things to be somewhat settled.


	12. Shatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac is in a bad place, unfortunately hes unaware of it and is continuing to occasionally dissociate from his own behavior.

Peter and Chris hadn’t asked Isaac to leave town when Chris and Allison had their little reunion weekend, but he knew they were going to mess with her memories again and he also knew that it was a bad idea for him to jeopardize it by letting her see him. He flew to L.A. and checked into his usual hotel. He lazed around and watched tv before getting room service. He talked to Kira on the phone who voiced concern for him because of everything being stirred up including his previous life as Allison’s pet.

“I won’t judge you for wanting to get drunk, but you could still be a bit emotional. Are you healing yet?”

“Feeling pretty normal, just edgy.” Isaac chewed his lip and regretted sleeping so long that he’d missed the opportunity to clarify to Derek that he’d been serious about the offer to blow him. Derek had just the right amount of aggression when he was tense, and Isaac had frightened the Alpha.

“Take it easy, assume you’re still running low for another day or two. Think like a human.” He heard her sigh through the phone. “I know you sometimes engage in risky behavior to compensate, but this isn’t a great time for it. I can’t control how you react to this, but I hope you’re not insulted by my concern.”

“Nope. Not insulted.”

“I love you, Isaac.”

“I love you too, Kira. I’m glad you’re looking out for me.”

“What’re you going to do?”

“Get drunk and find a hooker.”

“Very funny.”

“Probably go for a walk. Watch the sunset.”

Isaac did go for a walk. He ended up wandering around for over two hours in a little bit of a daze, and after pounding three beers and half a dozen shots, he found himself to be quite pleasantly buzzed. Apparently the aconite was still being processed by his liver, so the alcohol would need to get in line. It eased the anxiety in his chest, and he stopped thinking of the apartment he’d shared with Allison on the other side of the city. Even with his mind restored, he still felt the same deep attachment to her that had been born of a wild Were who’d found stability and companionship.

Isaac sat on a bench near a park that was made up of entirely too much concrete to really be considered a park when he heard a familiar voice.

“Isaac? What brings you here?” He looked up, quickly.

“Duke?”

~

Peter and Chris had a fairly pleasant evening with Allison and Peter found her to be rather charming. She was incredibly sweet, a quality he could not fathom coming from either of her parents and told her this. She laughed, cheeks rosy from her second glass of wine, and curled up on the couch under a throw blanket.

“Yeah, I’ve always wondered if I was the milk-man’s kid.”

“You look too much like your grandmother,” Chris said with a smile.

“I like that painting,” Allison said, nodding to an abstract landscape on the wall.

“Thank you, a friend of mine was recently at an art show and bought it for me. I’m not a huge collector, but when something appeals, I like to grab it.”

“You have good taste, but I think I expected your place to be…frillier.” She covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean it like it’s good or bad, just that I’m learning to temper my expectations.”

“It’s alright, Sweetheart. I’m a huge sports fan and I like art. I love to cook, but I hate to clean or bake.” He rested his chin in his palm. “You’ll have to meet my daughter, Malia. She’s your age, actually.”

“Peter just found out about her recently,” Chris said.

“I had to ask Christopher’s advice about daughters,” he said.

“Oh, was it one of those Ancestry DNA kits?”

“Something like that,” he replied, nodding. “She grew up happy, I’m glad about that. And I’m grateful she’s in my life now.” Chris got up to start doing the dishes since Peter had cooked. Allison took the opportunity to be honest.

“I’m sorry about my reactions, and to be honest, I think it still bothers me a little about Stiles and my dad. I’m trying to process it.”

“Two people with opposing views can be right at the same time, and sometimes you can do the right thing and still be the asshole.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes there’s no scenario where everyone will be satisfied. I know Stiles, and I know why neither of them felt compelled to immediately announce their actions. I also understand why you were hurt.”

“I’m not totally sure, yet.”

“Your father behaved in a way that put him at odds with your image of him. Every child goes through that at some point, and most of us at multiple times. We first think parents know everything and then, usually as teens, we’re certain they know nothing at all, and then eventually we see their wisdom and finally we see them as people.” She nodded quietly. “Maybe part of you still sees Stiles as a high school boy.”

“Maybe. I mean, Dad still treats Scott and Lydia the way he did in school.”

“Does he?” Peter quirked his head to the side. “I’ve seen Chris and Scott go after each other while watching the Super Bowl, and he’s seen Scott deliver breech Were pups on a farm without breaking a sweat.” He rubbed his chin. “Deaton and your father have had an understanding for years. And when your father suspects abuse, the Weres find their way to the shelter and Deaton makes certain they’re placed in better homes.”

“I didn’t know, but I’m glad.” She rubbed her ear again; a sign Peter was starting to recognize as her blocked memories trying to break through. He wasn’t worried she’d remember being an accessory to murder because he’d taken those memories away, but Isaac’s face would be unclear to her, and he guessed she was struggling to remember him.

“Can I show you something?” he asked. “It’s in my storage room.”

“Sure.”

~

Duke looked the way Isaac remembered from before the picnic. His eyes were clear and blue, not fogged, and sightless the way they’d been when he’d told the Alpha to leave him alone. He was dressed carefully and neatly and had a canvas shopping tote hanging from one shoulder. His expression was one of curiosity and surprise, and the Omega looked around.

“Uh…”

“It’s just me. The rest of the pack aren’t here.” He folded his arms with a small smile. “What brings you to Los Angeles?”

“How did you find me?” Isaac was nervous.

“I live here,” Duke pointed to the apartment building across the street. “I was just at the market picking up some fruit.” He narrowed his eyes at Isaac who was speechless and frozen. Not afraid, just…frozen. “Come upstairs Isaac, and you can tell me what you need from me.” His voice rippled like wind across a field of long grass. Isaac stood up and followed the Alpha, silently. Duke didn’t speak while they were in the elevator, but the Omega noted the very nice décor and the polite doorman. The Alpha opened the door to his apartment and ushered him inside.

Duke’s place was smaller than Peter’s, and looked like it only had one bedroom, but Peter lived in Beacon Hills where Duke was downtown L.A. It probably cost six times what Peter paid for his apartment. Isaac declined a drink and found himself sitting on the couch across from his former Alpha.

“What?” He realized Duke had been asking him something.

“Did you really not know I live here?”

“I wasn’t paying attention,” Isaac replied. “Maybe I followed your scent without realizing it.”

“You’ve forgotten me so quickly?” He chuckled but looked sad.

“No, I tried a wolfsbane concoction and got drunk last night. It’s still with me a bit and my senses are a little duller.” He covered his mouth when he burped. “I also drank a _lot_ about a half hour ago.”

“ _That_ I can smell, but I didn’t realize it was affecting you.” He moved to sit beside Isaac. “If I may…” He leaned forward and sniffed Isaac carefully. “I didn’t really catch it from over there, but there is a slight hint of aconite up close.” He leaned forward again. “Tequila, lime, and an English brown ale if I’m not mistaken.” He smiled approvingly. “At least it’s decent quality. I’d be ashamed if you were getting pissed on Budweiser.” He didn’t move away from Isaac and the Omega didn’t move away either.

“I’m not sure why I’m here.”

“That’s alright. We can figure it out together.”

~

“Is she alright Chris? Do I need to call an ambulance?”

Allison opened her eyes and saw her father’s face. Her back was very cold, and her neck hurt.

“She’s coming around, let’s give it a moment.” Her dad was there, and she blinked the dust from her eyes, focusing on the man standing behind her dad.

“Here, I’ve got some ice wrapped in a towel. Oh, she’s bleeding! Chris I’m calling an ambulance.”

“No,” she said, trying to sit up. “I’m okay.” Her dad’s hand was on the back of her neck and she felt it as the cold towel was pressed there. “What happened?”

“I brought you to help me find an old photo album, and a few things tipped off the shelf.” Peter winced. “I think the edge of my mother’s old rosewood box caught you on the back of the head.”

“I’m okay.” She sat up, feeling a little dizzy, but her head cleared after a moment. “Wow, it must’ve really smacked me.” She moved the towel and felt the abrasions where the back of her neck was bleeding and looked at the other man…Peter. “What were we talking about?”

~

“Even though I remember now, I still felt the same emotions as the wild Were I was when I lived with her,” Isaac was staring at his hands. “I missed her so much without even realizing it.”

“Of course you did,” Duke said, looking contrite. “I took any memory of feeling safe, I knew it would enable you to bond with her. It’s one of the many things I have to make up to you.”

“No, I remember that part of the plan. That wasn’t really so bad.”

“All the rest of my choices were selfish. I know that, now.”

“You raped my friends.”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“Why?” He shook his head. “Not why the sequence of events, but why? Why did that plan seem okay?”

“We were treated like animals. I’d seen it for decades, but when I shipped myself as live cargo to Alan Deaton from a fictional owner, I really understood what it was like. I was kept in quarantine at a farm for a few weeks because I had to ship myself from the UK for the sake of authenticity. It was supposed to be humane, and legally, I suppose it was.”

“So you started hating humans?”

“I already hated them. I was blinded, my pack was mostly dead, and I’d had to kill some of them myself. I wasn’t fully sane, but I don’t think there are many who could remain unaffected. I told myself that they deserved to be treated like us. And when my plan fell apart, I realized that Peter would never leave Stiles because of his bond. I was angry with Stiles, and with Peter, and I decided that if knotting Stiles didn’t bring the Alpha back, that a human living with the humiliation of being mounted by a creature he considered an animal wasn’t the worst thing to happen.” He looked down at his hands. “I can’t tell you how much shame I feel about it.”

“What about me?”

“You were different. You’d been broken after the attack, so hurt and so…dead inside. I couldn’t shift in front of the others, but you smelled and sounded so happy when I first saw you there. I knew it was wrong, but you were like the sweet boy I used to see running after his father and playing catch with me and some of the other children.”

“I hadn’t been happy for a long time.”

“I know, and I wish I’d known the extent of your depression, Daniel.” He placed his hand on the Omega’s shoulder and it took a moment before it sunk in.

“It’s Isaac. I’m not Daniel.” Isaac heard the voice from the back of his head. “Daniel was someone else. He was bullied, he was neglected, and he was hated.”

“I’m sorry. I think I was nostalgic for the young man who enjoyed my company. I wish I’d done more for him. He deserved better.”

“Hey, at least Daniel wasn’t an Omega.” He realized he’d slipped up when he felt Duke’s hand tighten on his shoulder. “I mean, that’s the only positive thing about remembering his life.”

“You were always an Omega, Isaac. We just didn’t know.” He sounded sad. “Have you locked that bit of yourself away too? Have you denied yourself an intimate relationship since the farm?”

“Oh no, I fuck all the time,” he said, lightly. “I hook up in the woods behind strip malls and at truck stops. I even belong to a BDSM and sex club. I fuck men and women.”

“Do they know about you?” The words spread Isaac’s lips in a wide smile. “I’m sorry, I can tell that upsets you.”

“They don’t know because they’d treat me the way you did if they knew.” He shrugged. “I don’t bottom. I just give and receive blowjobs, I fuck women’s pusses and asses, and I top the men who want me.” He kept smiling. “Anyone who wants me.” He stood up and felt woozy for a moment. At first he thought it was because he was drunk, but then everything cleared. His vision sharpened, the slight headache that had bothered him since that morning faded, and his nose was filled with scent and sound. He could smell the fruit in the canvas bag, the cheese sauce in the garbage can, and Duke’s arousal, faint but present. “Like you.” He looked down at the denim-clad crotch.

“No, Isaac.” Duke shook his head, but he didn’t leave. Of course he didn’t, he had an Omega on his couch.

“You’re the only one who’s ever fucked me. Do you remember the last time? When we were staying together in your stall. So romantic surrounded by the smell of Alpha spunk. You were bringing me back slowly. First with more self-awareness, and then with my identity. Do you remember that?”

“I didn’t want to traumatize you.”

“Being in that barn made me constantly horny. You knew that, but you asked them to put me there. How often did we fuck? How often did I wake you in the middle of the night, restless because I was so horny I couldn’t sleep?”

“Isaac, this is something we should talk about with your Alpha, or someone else present. I think you need Peter right now.” Duke started to pull away, but Isaac gripped the older man’s shoulders.

“You remember it right? I was climbing all over you, and you were sleepy, but you said ‘Okay, okay.’ And pushed my head under the covers so I could suck you while you fingered my ass. I was so wet for you all the time because you had me in there with you and all those Alphas. Do you remember?”

“Yes.” Duke’s eyes were filled with pain. “It was one of a thousand decisions I made that were selfish, Isaac.”

“Nah,” the Omega said, shaking his head, “I couldn’t sleep without getting some Alpha cock. Not after spending all day surrounded by them. I was starving for it, and I remember how relieved I felt when you flipped me around, pinning me down on my side so I’d stop pawing at you. He saw helplessness in the Alpha but then his nostrils flared slightly as he caught the scent of Isaac’s arousal. He was an Omega; it was his defense mechanism to get aroused when anxious and afraid of an Alpha.

“No, Isaac. This isn’t what you want.”

“It’s what you conditioned me to do,” he said. “You had to put your arm around my neck. You had to hold me down because I was in a frenzy to get out of the stall and get to Derek, the other Alpha.”

“I’m sorry, Isaac.” Duke started to stand up and he looked at the kitchen counter where his phone was. Isaac grabbed him around the knees, and they went down with a grunt of surprise from the Alpha.

“You pinned me by the neck and whispered to me how good I was and how much you loved and cared for me. And then you finally gave me your cock and I made these unholy squeals because it felt so good. I wasn’t in heat, but it was _so_ good. I remember clawing at the blankets and trying to spread my legs wider so I could just get more of you in me.” He could feel the shiver under his skin as he pushed out his pheromones into the air. Duke had done the same thing to him in order to keep him from going to Derek for his heat. He rubbed the front of Duke’s jeans and felt the familiar cock stiffen under the coarse fabric.

“Isaac, you need your Alpha, not me. I was wrong. I made so many mistakes.”

“Do you remember what you whispered when you pushed your knot inside me?” His claws came out and he sliced like a surgeon. He saw the surprise and fear on Duke’s face before the distress as he started jerking the Alpha’s erect cock. “Do you remember?” With his other hand he batted away the older man’s attempts to dislodge him. “Do you remember what you said?”

“Yes,” Duke said, through gritted teeth. “I was wrong, I shouldn’t have said it.” He let his head thump back onto the floor. “It was completely selfish of me, and I’ll do anything you want in order to help you.” He caught Isaac’s wrists. “I told you I wished I could breed you, and that you’d be pregnant by me. I said I wished I could tie us together for life.” He breathed in and out slowly. “I was overcome with emotion. I knew I was eventually going to lose the rest of my pack because of what I’d done. I knew I was losing you the next day, but I was too weak and pathetic to do the right thing. I was selfish and wanted to have one last night where you needed me.”

“Why can’t you still be that guy? Why can’t you still be the guy who loves me that much?” He shouted at the Alpha who flinched. “It was the most anyone has ever wanted from me, and you didn’t even mean it.”

“I’m trying to be a better man.”

“So what am I? I’m doing what you did. Am I irredeemable now?” his throat started to tighten up and his clawed hands started to shake. “You wanted me so much back then.”

“I still do. More than anything, I want to deserve your love, but I don’t. I don’t deserve you.” He relaxed his hold on Isaac’s wrists and the Omega looked down at the still-hard cock. He’d learned a lot from the days of clumsily licking and suckling at the tip. He felt Duke’s hand stroke his face and he relaxed. When he started to bend down, the Alpha didn’t stop him, and he went through his routine. He didn’t smell, he didn’t taste anything, he just sucked, and sucked, and sucked. He listened for the cues from the older man’s breathing, and felt for the tightening of muscles, and the rippling of the spasms in the shaft. “You’ve always been perfect, Isaac. You’ve always been a better man than me.” He stroked Isaac’s curls. “You deserve to get everything you want. You deserve love and friendship. You deserve a family.”

Isaac didn’t notice the tears sliding down his nose until he inhaled one while trying to breathe. He was choking himself on Duke’s cock but kept going. He heard a small whimper from his own throat but didn’t know why it came out. “Yes, that’s so good.” Duke was coming and he swallowed reflexively. He got up and turned around, going for the toilet. He threw up so hard that his ears were ringing. He moved over the sink with blurred vision that seemed to clear if he blinked a few times, but only temporarily. Then it blurred again. He was hearing a weird sound in his own chest; he guessed it must be a result of the wolfsbane, like his nausea. He rinsed his mouth and spit into the sink. His whole face was wet, so he splashed more water over it and dried it with a clean towel.

Isaac patted his pockets for his keys, phone, and wallet. He walked to the door and left the apartment and went down to the street. He let the doorman hail a cab for him and tipped him. When he got to his hotel, he went to his room and lay down on the bed. The bedspread was clean because he stayed in nice hotels. He smiled as he remembered Peter’s advice about how chain hotels would often be somewhat generic in service, but there were some that had standards of cleanliness that were fairly consistent. He undressed and pulled back the sheets, using his underwear to dry the stickiness between his ass cheeks. He must’ve been walking for a long time to get that sweaty.

~

Peter was standing in the living room when his phone rang. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the name on the caller ID.

“Yes?” he said, keeping his voice neutral and politely inquisitive.

“You need to come to L.A. and get Isaac.”

“What happened Duke?”

“It was worse than you thought.”


	13. Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac loses himself.

Isaac woke when he heard knocking on the door from housekeeping. He could smell the chemicals from the cart and hear them speaking to each other. He stumbled to the door and opened it just a crack.

“Not today, I’m fine thanks,” he said, and shut the door. He drank one of the bottles of water and when a cold drop hit his dick, he realized he was naked. He hoped he hadn’t been standing directly in front of the open door. He brushed his teeth, feeling the coating of sleep and old booze with a hint of vomit. He went back to bed without opening the drapes, looking at his phone, or the clock. He fell asleep again, choosing not to think about anything at all.

~

“Chris.” Peter stuck his head in the guest bedroom where the hunter was placing a glass of water beside the bed where Allison slept. The tone was enough to make him follow the other Alpha out of the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just got a call from Duke. Isaac showed up outside his apartment and things didn’t go well.” He gave him the rundown of what Duke had told him.

“He didn’t stop him from leaving?”

“He said Isaac seemed completely out of it. He was afraid to engage with him in case Isaac initiated more. He followed him at a distance until he was back at his hotel. He tracked him to his room and said he went straight to sleep.”

“I never should have let him get drunk.”

“I’m inclined to agree, but you didn’t know Allison was going to show up. I think seeing her pushed him over the edge.”

“Where is he?” Peter gave him the hotel name and room number. “I’ll go. I’ve been too afraid to push him. I didn’t want to control him.” He rubbed a hand over his face.

“I’m his Alpha, I never should have stayed in South America for so long. I knew he was struggling.” Peter called Derek.

“Hey.” Derek answered immediately.

~

Isaac woke, restless and hungry. He showered, got dressed and went down to the restaurant to get something to eat. He was surprised when it turned out to be closed and looked out the window. He hadn’t noticed that it was two in the morning when he woke up; he hadn’t noticed much of anything. He caught sight of his reflection in the window that separated him from the dark street. He was dressed in dark jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a gray beanie that Malia had given him. He felt like there was a reason he’d dressed like this and went outside.

A sandwich and bag of chips from a convenience store later, and Isaac was getting into an Uber. He watched the streets as the driver talked on his phone while he drove, and they made good time since the streets were about as empty as L.A. streets could get. He thanked the driver and got out, looking at the apartment complex. It was secure of course, but for someone like Isaac it wasn’t much of a problem. He scaled the outer wall with the help of a tree and lowered himself down from the roof onto the terrace.

The door to the balcony was locked but not alarmed. He knew the code to the motion detector alarm inside and made it to the keypad in less than two seconds. He typed in the code, which was the date Allison had rescued him, and disarmed the system. He started searching in the bedroom, since that was where she’d kept most of her personal items and went to the closet.

_“Is this your spot now? Does it feel like a little cave to you?”_

The folded blanket was still there, robin’s egg blue and soft flannel. It had been washed, but she’d returned it to the same spot where he used to huddle when Allison was gone. He dropped to his knees and picked it up, rubbing it on his face. She missed him. She must’ve been missing him and hoping he’d come home. She probably felt terrible, not knowing what had happened to him, maybe blaming herself. She’d no way to know that he’d been kidnapped. He huffed softly and started looking through boxes and cabinets. He saw her laptop and opened it. He stood out of the way, remembering that she had a security feature that captured the image of whomever had turned it on.

Thanks to Duke’s careful attention to detail in the retrieval of his memories, Isaac knew Mama’s security pin. He searched for images and found the photos she’d been saving since high school. There were plenty of her and Lydia, her and Stiles, her and Scott. And there was a separate folder of photos of her and Scott that required a password, but since it hadn’t been accessed in several years, he figured it was safe to leave.

Stiles’s research training paid off, and he found a whole batch of photos that Allison had uploaded to a pharmacy website to be printed. The dates would have been around the time of the funeral, and he found a cache of family pictures at holidays and some candids of Allison and her aunt, Allison and her grandfather, and much older photos of both of the deceased. He also saw a photo of Allison’s mother, looking cool but beautiful, and half a dozen of himself. One of the photos had been carefully brightened and enhanced and when he searched for documents created around the same time, he discovered a ‘Lost Were’ sign she’d made. He guessed that she’d posted it in the neighborhood, but he used the image to search online and discovered it in one or two chat rooms. The photo was over a year old, and his hair had been long and curly then. He'd been thinner and his posture had been unmistakably Were.

Isaac was going to need Stiles to search and destroy his image online, but that would have to wait. He spent nearly an hour removing images of his face from the computer and then walked around the apartment. Her kitchen wasn’t as tidy as Chris’s, but it was neat. He stole a few cookies from her stash in the freezer and was eating them when he caught a glimpse of the framed photo on the mantle. It was the one she’d printed of her mother. If she’d printed one of her mother, she might’ve printed more than just the posters looking for Isaac. He searched the living room and the photo albums on the shelf, but they were all old.

Isaac went back to the bedroom and sat in the closet on his blanket. He tipped his head back and inhaled Mama’s scent. What would she do if she came back and found him there? He could take off his clothes, roll in some mud, and break the window. She’d come home to find him, and she’d believe he’d returned. He could go back to being her ‘Baby’. He was lying down when he noticed the glint of something shiny under the bed. He reached for it and found the small picture frame. He hugged it to his chest and started to cry. She’d printed out the photo of the two of them on Christmas morning with him wearing the Santa hat that he’d shredded about ten seconds after the photo had been taken. She loved him. If he came back, he’d never have to tell her what he’d done.

Mama would never ask him questions about his childhood. She’d never ask him how many people he’d fucked. She’d never ask him about her time in the shelter being knotted by an Alpha with an audience present. She’d never think to ask him if he’d gone crawling back to his Alpha and…

Isaac woke up when a shaft of light fell across his face. He blinked sleepily, head muzzy and disoriented.

“Mama?”

“She’d have a heart attack if she saw you,” Chris said. Isaac could smell the tension and anxiety. “Let’s go, we need to stage a robbery.” His voice was tight, and he sounded angry. Isaac held out the frame and Chris took it and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

“She shouldn’t have thought I looked familiar. I know Peter went through her phone and deleted photos, but she had to see me somewhere so I thought she might have more.” The hunter looked at it for a full minute without saying anything, and then tucked it into a duffel bag he had on his shoulder. “I thought it would be good to search while she was gone.”

“I’ll go into her cloud and get rid of the rest.”

“She made posters,” he said. “She missed me.” He put his head back on the floor and nuzzled the blanket.

“Of course she did, Isaac. She adores you. She asks about you from time to time.” He sighed. “I think she needs closure.” He squatted down and ruffled the Omega’s hair. “We’re going to have to kill you so she can see your body.” Isaac didn’t laugh.

“She loved me because she didn’t know who I really am.”

“She loved you because your nature is to be sweet and affectionate.” He stood up and nodded to the door. “You can’t hide that. Peter, Derek, Ennis, and Boyd all got dosed with the same stuff and with the same effect. Derek and Boyd were manageable, Peter and Ennis were jerks. What does that tell you?”

“I picked the right roommate.” He cracked a small smile but was relieved that Chris didn’t ask him to be the getaway driver when he went up to stage a robbery. Isaac didn’t realize he’d been waiting for nearly an hour until he saw the loot Chris had robbed from several apartments. “Don’t you feel even a little bad?”

“She lives on the second floor, there’s no way she’d believe that her apartment was the only one someone robbed. I had to hit a bunch of them before I got to hers.”

“Doesn’t anyone else have alarms?”

“Nope.” Chris shook his head. “They rely on it being a gated complex.”

“Idiots.” Isaac used his phone’s flashlight to poke around in the bags. “What are you going to do with it?”

“It’s mostly electronics, so I’ll dump them in the river before anyone who might have a tracker can find them.”

“What about the jewelry?” Isaac picked up a gold cross.

“Why?”

“This looks old, like someone might miss it.” He frowned and looked at a silent Chris Argent. “My fault, I know.”

“Yup.” Chris nodded. “Why did you decide to go alone?”

“I don’t know.” He laid his head against the window. “It’s been a weird couple of days. I don’t even remember looking up her address on the Uber.”

“You took an Uber to commit robbery?”

“Shit.”

“Dressed like that?”

“Now what?”

~

“Did you see what was in the bags?” The dispatcher asked.

“I didn’t want to touch them. You never know when you’ll find a dead baby or something.” Chris gave him a look as Isaac spoke on Chris’s spare burner phone.

“You said it was two bags?”

“Yeah, can you imagine the mess?” He declined giving the police a name while Chris took the on-ramp and handed the hunter the phone when he hung up. It went sailing out the window and into a ditch.

“Dead baby?”

“I panicked.” Isaac shrugged and looked out the window.

“Happy now? Cops will be swarming the area in two minutes.”

“Don’t speed,” Isaac said.

“I’m not the one dressed like a burglar.”

“I’m not the one in a sketchy black SUV. Besides, who robs apartments in seven hundred dollar jeans?”

“Who the fuck pays that much for jeans?”

“Lydia. Well, she bought, I paid.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I’m dressed better so if we get pulled over, you’re the hooker.”

“I’m technically the television personality with a historically conservative fan base. If anyone’s going to be caught with a hooker, it’s me.” Isaac smiled. “I see why Peter calls you his favorite Beta.” Isaac lost his smile and put his head back against the seat. _I think you need Peter right now._ Duke’s words killed his adrenaline buzz, and he felt like bailing out of the SUV and heading to Mexico.

“Yesterday, um…” He chewed on his thumbnail for a moment. “It wasn’t a very good day.”

“Tell me what you need.”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you want to do right now?”

“Run away.” He sniffled and felt hot tears hit his cheeks, and he rubbed his face before looking at his hands. “This keeps happening. I don’t feel anything, but the tears come anyway.” He just looked at his hands, helplessly.

“What else?”

“I want to erase the last forty-eight hours. I think I was doing okay before that.”

“No.” Chris shook his head. “You’re drowning.” Isaac started to cry again when Chris finally voiced a relevant opinion on his mental health. “You just don’t know how to reach your lifeline.”

“I don’t even know what’s wrong with me.” He rested his head against the window and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Chris was pulling into a parking garage. Some of the graffiti looked familiar.

“You should come inside.”

Isaac was sitting on a low couch in a different room than the one he usually met Stewart in. He stared at his hands instead of the Alpha who went to the cupboard on the wall and rummaged around. Isaac wasn’t paying much attention because the man’s posture was relaxed and he didn’t move with the same energy he had when they had their sessions.

“I’m not sure what to call you.”

“Stewart only works weekends.” Chris sat across from him and watched him for a few minutes before asking the question that had likely been on his mind for a long time. “Why don’t you trust me, Isaac?” Isaac moved his head slightly but didn’t answer. “You never have, and I guess I can’t blame you, but why do you keep coming to me for help?” It seemed to take ages before Isaac processed the question and was able to speak. He felt like he was at the bottom of a well and part of him wanted to just embrace the despair. It took too much energy to act normal.

“I wanted to understand you.”

“Why me?” He tilted his head to the side. “You weren’t lying when you denied being attracted to me.” He didn’t look away.

“You seem so…human.”

“Most of the time, I am.” Chris smiled. “I’ve certainly put effort into appearing that way for a long time.”

“Peter and Derek are damaged, like me. They lost everything and were victims of terrible cruelty.” He was glad Chris’s hearing was so good because he had trouble forcing the words out. “It makes Peter sharper around the edges, but he wears it. Derek’s a lot stronger than he realizes, and he makes efforts to overcome his fears for other people.”

“I think you’re right.”

“You’re a bit…reserved.” Chris chuckled at Isaac’s attempt to be diplomatic. “Okay, you’re cold, and I get that your family life wasn’t normal, but…it doesn’t seem to bother you.”

“I’m used to it.”

“I mean, I’m always afraid people will see who I really am and what I’ve done. But I only try to hurt myself.” He looked up at Chris. “I don’t understand how you…” He couldn’t hold the older man’s gaze when it started to go cold.

“Sleep at night?”

“Yes.” Isaac nodded as more tears fell. He wiped them away impatiently. “I think about it all the time. How can you do what you do, all the time, and shrug it off? Justified or not, how do you commit murder, cover it up, and then go back to your life like it’s nothing?”

“Are you talking about Theo?”

“He was a murderer and worse; I understand and agree with your decision that we were all safer with him gone, but to actually _do it_ and have it not bother you.” He saw Chris stand, and realized was already on his feet, but he couldn’t stop himself from going on, no matter how dangerous it was. “I can’t even live with myself most of the time without needing someone to hurt me. How do you seem so _normal_?” He felt fragile like glass.

“I’m a silent partner in a BDSM club and I cater to people who need something only I can do for them.”

“What do you do for them?”

“I break them. Every single one of them. And then I put them back together.”

“But it’s still their choice.”

“No, I’ve just been going easy on you.” He moved forward and Isaac stepped back. “They give me permission, but I take more. They give me their trust and I take their screams. I take their blood and I give them agony. They tell me that they have ‘Daddy issues’, and I find their hidden rape fantasy. They tell me they’ve got survivor’s guilt and I make them feel lucky to be alive when I’m finished. And then there’s the spoiled little brats who think they can handle everything I throw at them. They think they’ve got some kind of darkness inside them that separates them from the rest of their spoiled little friends. I show them what real darkness is and send them crying back to Mommy and Daddy.”

“How do you get away with it?”

“Because nobody can stop me.” He took something out of his pocket, and Isaac stiffened when he realized it was a syringe. “Certainly not a weak, pathetic, defective Omega like you, Isaac.” He nudged the top with his thumb and Isaac felt an unpleasant tingle run under his skin as the plastic needle guard popped off. He tilted his chin up in defiance.

“I’m not going to run.”

“Then you’re stupid, too. You’re probably one of the few wolves in this part of the country who might be faster than me. Running probably would’ve worked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always liked the idea of a darker version of Chris. Where the one in the show found his humanity, I wanted this Chris to have found a different way to cope with his own issues.


	14. (dis)trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for unsafe practices and non-con.

Isaac was so outclassed that a lucky break meant _survival_ in a real fight, and right now he knew this was real. Not just ‘no safe word’ real, but ‘I don’t know what’s in the syringe’ real. There was nothing he could bargain with, because there wasn’t anything he could offer Chris that the man couldn’t take from him with some patience, and Chris was very patient. He waited, as still as a statue, while Isaac grew more and more anxious. He made a feint towards the heavy, wooden table near the center of the room, but before he could move towards the door, Chris had an arm around his neck and was plunging the needle under his collarbone.

“Don’t move, or it might kill you before you heal,” the hunter growled but Isaac was already paralyzed out of instinct. It burned and he had a bittersweet aftertaste in the back of his throat which was familiar. He got dizzy for a moment and his legs got weak. “Now we can take our time.” He withdrew the needle and Isaac heard a snap. “These are great because the needle retracts into the syringe after the plunger reaches the bottom of the chamber.” His tone was conversational, and he rubbed the spot where he’d injected it. It felt sore and achy, and a burning bloomed under his fingers. “When someone is struggling, you can’t re-cap the needle safely, and I wouldn’t want to leave a dirty needle around.”

“When did you get it?” Isaac struggled to find his words as the wolfsbane flowed through his veins.

“I had it with me in the SUV.” Isaac felt sick. Chris had been planning this. While they’d joked about who would pretend to be a hooker, while Chris had calmly spoken to him about his issues and acted like he’d cared about the Omega. Isaac had still retained the shallow hope that Chris wanted something from him enough to want Isaac to be whole and well. Whether it was just as a client, or because it made him look nicer to the others if he helped the Omega, Isaac assumed that putting in the effort meant Chris had been invested in his general well-being. It had all been an act. Everyone knew about Duke, and he couldn’t face them. Chris might put him out of his misery this time. 

“What are you going to do?”

~

_“Come on son, do it like you want to scare the bears.” Isaac was eight, and his fangs were becoming troublesome. His dad had taken him up into the mountains, the only place where they could safely do this. They’d camped out under the stars, cooked over a fire, and his father had been endlessly patient with him. In the end, he’d been proud when they’d howled together under the moon, and he’d known he was loved._

The joints in Isaac’s fingers were aching from how hard he was gripping the table beneath him. His back was on fire, and Chris had just stopped with the leather strap. His arms were free, but he’d been wrestled into a collar which was anchored somewhere under the table and his knees were bound to its legs. He was naked and his thighs burned from supporting his weight without being able to lock his knees to give them a rest.

“Reach back and hold yourself open,” Chris said, going to the cabinet for a multi-tailed flail.

“I’m not helping you,” Isaac rasped. “You’re a twisted piece of shit.”

“And what does that make you?” Chris’s voice was casual as he opened a bottle of water and drank. Isaac’s mouth was parched. “You’ve been following me around, showing up at my house, and paying me to give you what you need.” He leaned over until he was eye-level with the Omega. “You think I didn’t know what you were doing the other night at my house?” He swung the flail and even without Isaac holding his cheeks apart, they licked fire down his crack and across his anus. He bit back a scream and pressed his cheek into the table. “You got drunk, I got drunk, and then you got drunker and took all your clothes off. You stripped down to your little panties and spread out on my couch.” He swung again, and again.

“No,” Isaac grunted, not entirely sure what he was denying.

“This was what you wanted. You won’t let anyone in that ass because you like it too much and you don’t want people knowing you’re a cock slut.”

“No, it wasn’t me! I didn’t remember anything!” He let out a yelp with the next blow because it came too quickly for him to predict. “I didn’t know what I was doing!”

“That’s just it. You were reduced to your basest self. You did _exactly_ what you wanted, when you wanted to.” He struck again and again. “You just won’t accept that this tight little pussy was meant to be used.”

“No!” Isaac wept openly. “No! I don’t want it. I don’t like it. That’s not what I am.”

Chris went to the whip next and beat Isaac from neck to knees with it until he was barely conscious. He wore a blanket of pain now, and that’s all there was. Each time it connected, it felt like it wasn’t his own flesh, it felt wrong, like the leather was connecting before it reached him. The welts and bruises raised by the blows had swelled the torn and battered surface of his skin and it was so overwhelmed with sensation that he only felt it in the deeper layers of muscle and sinew. His vision went white.

Isaac heard and felt nothing except the slight jarring as his body rocked from the blows for a length of time he couldn’t measure, and then he felt something heavy on his tongue and opened his eyes.

“Wakey, Wakey!” Chris was smiling at him. “No sleeping.” He was holding Isaac’s bottom jaw with his thumb anchoring the younger man’s tongue. He gave it a tug.

“Won’t be long now,” Isaac rasped. “Go ahead.”

“Sorry, Kiddo. Nobody’s killing you today.” He pinched Isaac’s bottom lip and twisted it. It was already bleeding from where he’d bitten it at some point. “At least, I’m not the one doing it. If you want to commit suicide, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

“What?”

“You’ve been talking for a while, now.” Chris stepped back and tapped the flail against his palm. “You’ve been giving me all the excuses in the world: ‘You’ve got the wrong guy’, ‘I’m not really an Omega’, ‘I’m a Beta named Daniel’, and most vehemently: ‘don’t give me the induction injection’.” Isaac didn’t respond. He didn’t remember talking or being asked any questions. “Considering the way you wouldn’t take no for an answer with Duke last night, I’m surprised you’re in denial about being an Omega. You tore his jeans off trying to get to his cock.”

“Shut up,” Isaac’s face burned worse than the rest of him.

“That’s a _real_ Omega right there. One who fights for the dick he wants.”

“No!” He flinched as Chris swung the flail from the front of the table, letting it arc down and strike, igniting a new fire between his ass cheeks. “No!”

“Fascinating creatures, Omegas.” Chris took a lighter tone as he calmly lectured Isaac about the extra nerve endings and how nature had to give Omegas a reason to let dicks inside them, and other Weres reasons to fuck them. “So sensitive. They purr when you stroke them, they want to touch everyone and everything, just like you did at the shelter.”

“I didn’t know anything then!”

“You knew who you were. You were so happy to get all the attention. When there was a break-in, you were sucking Duke’s dick and getting your ass eaten like a pro. You got pulled off him and tried to hump Jordan’s leg like a dirty pup. He smacked your ass and you presented.” The flail came down over and over. “You’d take it from anyone, wouldn’t you?”

“No!” Isaac was crying and Chris was moving around to the back of the table.

“Sure you will. Even after everything I’ve done, you’re still gonna come because your ass was made for this.” Isaac felt hands on his burning ass cheeks, and then a whispery face pressed against him. Isaac screamed as Chris’s tongue went to work on him. The burn from his raw skin, and the hunter’s beard contrasted sharply with the gentle, insistent strokes of the man’s tongue. He tried to jerk away and tried to swing an arm back to strike at the Alpha who was eating him out.

“Don’t!” He yelped when Argent poked his tongue at the center of his hole. He was weak from the wolfsbane and feeling the disparity in strength between human-level and Alpha Werewolf was laughable. It was as if the wiggling muscle was made of steel and his ass opened up underneath it like butter. He hated himself because it felt good. He hated how hard he was. He shouldn’t have the energy to breathe, much less get an erection but there it was, bumping the edge of the table as he was rocked forward. Frantically, he began to beg. “Please, don’t do this! I’ll be good, I promise.”

“I know you’ll be good for me,” Chris said, lifting his mouth. He pushed Isaac’s cheeks further apart. “You’re getting wet now, that’s perfect. It’s all you have to do.” He poked his tongue deeper and the rough texture of the buds that covered the powerful muscle scraped the sensitive skin of Isaac’s swollen rim. He fucked it in an out of the tight hole, just a few centimeters of movement, but it was enough.

“Please, don’t make me come! I don’t want to come like this. No!” Nothing Isaac did mattered. He was worthless. He couldn’t stop his schoolmates from seeing him as different, he couldn’t make his father love him, he couldn’t make his mother care about him, and he couldn’t protect any of them. He’d been weak. He’d been a coward, and he hadn’t even defended himself when his father had tied to kill him. _Finally_ he’d thought, right before Duke’s claws had torn out his father’s throat, killing him and saving Isaac. He was useless, pathetic, and now he was an Omega. _You were always an Omega._

Isaac _had_ been born an Omega. He had deserved every pain that had been delivered to him over the years. He’d been treated differently because he was always different. He’d been a freak even then and they’d all known it. His father must have sensed it, his mother too. It’s why they’d replaced him with Cam. He wasn’t even a _normal_ Omega. Every night, when he considered what Duke had stolen from him, he thought about the alternative and struggled because as much as he hated how his presentation had occurred, the alternative probably would have been just as bad. If his family hadn’t died, he’d probably have presented in high school. He would’ve lost control, just like now. No matter how much he’d hated them, he’d have still gone ass up for the bullies in the locker room, like he was doing now for a man who’d killed Weres for a living and had killed two young men like he was taking out the trash.

Isaac came, spurting his shameful load onto the floor under the table. His gut ached with each spasm because of how long he’d been clenching his muscles. He was babbling and crying now with hoarse, aborted syllables and he had his eyes squeezed shut until he felt a warm hand shove a gag in his mouth and fasten it around the back of his head.

“Stiles screams and begs, but he sounds much sweeter.” Isaac tried to catch his breath, but his whole body was burning. He heard the clink of a belt buckle and blinked the stinging sweat from his eyes. He raised his head when Argent lowered his zipper and reached inside his jeans. A stray thought shot through his head that his curiosity would finally be appeased. “You’ve got your heat coming up, so it’s better to get you used to it now. You’re lucky I’m doing this, really. You’ll understand once you’re used to being fucked and knotted again that I’m just trying to help you.” He fished his cock out and gave it a few strokes. “Maybe putting a few loads in you and one good knotting will push you into your heat without the injection, but I’ll still probably give once the wolfsbane wears off.”

Isaac screamed through the gag. Chris was huge and Omega or not, his ass was on fire from being beaten, he wasn’t in heat, and he would have to endure humiliating agony until his body processed the wolfsbane. Everyone would smell the Alpha in him and know he was somebody’s bitch. Chris moved behind him and he could hear the man’s hand stroking over his cock.

“Calm down, now, don’t get upset.” Chris’s tone was patronizing. “I’ll put two or three loads in you here, and then we’ll be done and you can clean up in the bathroom. You’ll have to wipe everything down yourself because the cleaning crew left it spotless, if you’re not thorough, I’ll make you do it again. Can’t have you taking advantage of being here after hours with the boss.” He gave Isaac’s hip a pinch. “After that, we’ll go back to your room and you can show _me_ how well you suck dick while your injection kicks in. I’ve kept your secret about our meetings; pretty sure I deserve a little something for that.  
His tone continued conversationally, and with condescension he added, “When we get back after your heat, you’ll need to talk to Stiles for me. He’s an Omega and he should understand, but I’m not losing him because of you.”

Isaac was cold for a moment. Icy cold and frozen. The hot ball of rage that followed made the pain ignite in his skin again for just a moment as it rolled through him. Chris would _let_ him clean up in the bathroom? _He_ was taking advantage of Chris’s position? _He_ would have to talk to Stiles on Chris’s behalf, taking all the blame of course because Chris wanted to keep his Omega boyfriend.

Isaac flinched as he felt Chris move between his thighs. The man let out a low chuckle. “I beat you so bad you’re practically swollen shut. It’ll be like you’ve got a little Virgin ass again.” He rubbed at Isaac with his thumb and the Omega felt a burn rush over his skin again, then it was a tingle and he clenched his fists, holding back the healing. The wolfsbane was wearing off, and he was recovering. He said nothing, but slowly forced out a claw as Chris started stroking himself and rubbing the head of his cock in the sticky slick that coated Isaac’s thighs. He could cut the leather, and maybe stand up and turn to throw off the Alpha…

_No. I’m a Werewolf. I’m not a human. I’m a fucking monster and I need to act like one._

Chris hit the wall hard with blood pouring down his face. The broken top of the table hit him in the chest, but he managed to block two of the table legs before they struck his face. Isaac let down his fangs and roared as he ducked under the broken wood that was hurled back at him. The Alpha rose with a hand over his rapidly-healing cheek, tucked his dick away, and smiled.

“I’m gonna tear your fucking head off,” Isaac snarled.

“Come get it, Omega.” Chris cupped his crotch, crudely. “You’re starving for it, aren’t you?”

“Shut up!” He wanted to yell that he didn’t want anything from him, but he cooled his head. It was unlikely that he’d survive for long if he actually tried to kill the Alpha, but he didn’t want Argent to get away with it. “Don’t try to manipulate me; you’re done, and you know it.”

“You’re the one who chose this! I warned you I wasn’t holding back. I warned you I did things my way, you only have yourself to blame.”

“Tell it to Peter. Tell it to John. Tell it to Derek.” Isaac smiled at him.

“You think Peter’s taking your side over mine?”

“Absolutely.”

“You think you can beat me, Kiddo?”

“Don’t call me that. And I don’t have to beat you. You said it yourself, I’m faster.”

“You gonna run out of here naked with your ass soaking wet with Omega slick?”

“If I have to.” Isaac shrugged. “Cops in L.A. are used to this kind of thing. Even if I tell them I’m a rent boy running from a John, they’ll still help me.”

“You think anyone cares about you? _Nobody_ cares about you!”

“Bullshit!” Isaac wanted to rush at Chris, but the Alpha was just trying to get him to lose his temper. “Get out of my way.”

Isaac didn’t get past Chris, the Alpha was too good at catching Weres. Isaac ended up pinned against the wall by the older man, but he went down swinging. He clawed punched and bit, too. Eventually Chris got him in a wrestling move that he couldn’t break.

“What are you gonna do now?” Chris growled. “Nowhere to go. Just you and me here, and in a moment, I’m gonna use my claws to make you forget all about this little-”

Isaac howled. All of his anger, fear, anxiety, and self-loathing vanished as the wolf howled for his pack. For help. For rescue. He felt the floor shake with his roar, the loudest he’d ever managed. He howled like he wanted to scare the bears. When he ran out of breath, he was on all fours, gasping. The weight on his back was gone, and he felt the draft of air from the door. He looked up and saw Chris standing with his back to the far wall. He wasn’t smiling, and he was covered in blood, but he looked pleased. He didn’t say anything to Isaac, he just walked out the door and down the hall. Isaac glanced at his clothes in a pile.

It was probably safer to just run, but Chris might not have taken the phone. Isaac darted over, scooped up his things, and felt the hard shape of the phone in the pocket of his jeans. He didn’t want to be cornered in the room any longer and ran out into the hallway. He could hear Chris running water in the bathroom sink and went down and through to the main room. He felt exposed and dug out his phone with one hand while he put on his underwear with the other. His hands shook as he pulled up his recent calls. The room was dark and empty with the cocktail tables arranged neatly. He scanned the building for heartbeats but only heard Chris.

“Isaac?”

“Dad?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to keep Chris flawed and dark, but not evil. Also not a saint.


	15. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac looks back on events and starts to see them differently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW at end.

Hearing John Stilinski’s voice calmed Isaac and he closed his eyes. He took a few breaths to slow down his heart rate.

“Are you alright, Son?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Isaac slumped into a chair, feeling the cool vinyl against his thighs, reminding him that he was in his underwear. “How’s everything up there?” He wasn’t sure what to say, so he stalled.

“We’re fine, but Peter seemed concerned about you. He said you had a rough night.” The sheriff paused. “I’m glad you called.”

“Me too. I just wanted to check in with you. I’m…I guess I’m not totally okay, but I’m getting there.” He cleared his throat and looked at the pile of clothes on the floor. “I did have a rough night, and I’ll tell you about it when I get home, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. Isaac, I know you’ve been struggling with a lot and I want you to know that I _do_ see that, and I want to help. I want to listen.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll see you when you get home, Isaac.”

Isaac hung up and stared at the phone for a few moments while his higher reasoning came back online. _They give me permission, but I take more. They give me their trust and I take their screams. I take their blood and I give them agony_. Chris had been telling Isaac who he was all along, Isaac had simply hadn’t been listening. Or his own mind had been screaming too loudly to take the older man at his word. He’d been obsessed with the image he had of Chris in his head and ignoring all of the signs that contradicted it. _They tell me that they have ‘Daddy issues’_. Isaac had Daddy issues that would make Sigmund Freud piss his pants. _They tell me they’ve got survivor’s guilt_. Yeah, plenty of people had told Isaac he had survivor’s guilt. They were all correct. Chris had predicted Isaac’s actions as well. _And then there’s the spoiled little brats who think they can handle everything I throw at them_. Isaac had stood there, in front of a werewolf with hunter training, and refused to run.

Isaac shut off his phone and gathered up his clothes, heading back through the main room and into the back hallway. The door was one-way to keep people from wandering in and out, but he used his claws to pry it open. He saw the pieces of the broken table sitting on the floor outside the room where he’d been with Chris and heard a vacuum cleaner switch on. He almost chuckled as he walked back to the doorway and peered in. Chris Argent was carefully vacuuming up the splinters from the table, and Isaac could smell the cleaner he’d used to get rid of the blood. He was wearing his shirt again, and his face was clean. Near the door, Isaac spotted one of his socks and stepped in to pick it up as the vacuum turned off. He straightened up, quickly, but the Alpha was just coiling up the cord.

Isaac waited, still holding his clothes and shoes in his arms, not sure what to say. Chris rolled the vacuum out of the room and back down the hall, not saying anything to Isaac when he passed. Then he picked up the pieces of the table and carried them away as well. Isaac set down his clothes, picked up the broom and dustpan from just inside the door and swept up the splinters, dumping them into the heavyweight trash bag Argent had ready. He got dressed because he wasn’t sure what else to do, and he didn’t want to talk to Chris without having some kind of armor between them.

“What happened to me?” he asked when Chris came back into the room. The older man looked at him and then leaned against the door frame.

“I made a mistake, Isaac.” The confession surprised the younger wolf.

“What mistake?” He wondered if the Alpha was going to apologize for forcing him to orgasm, or for injecting him with wolfsbane.

“You were dissociating, and I didn’t see it. I thought you were dropping into subspace during our sessions, but you were blocking off the pain, not embracing it or even experiencing it.”

“So you injected me with wolfsbane?”

“Only a little. You should’ve started healing after ten or fifteen minutes at most.” He folded his arms. “Why don’t we sit down and talk, if you’re comfortable with that. If not, you should call Peter or Kira.” He brought Isaac to the main room and got them both a bottle of water. They sat on cushy chairs around a low table and Chris invited him to ask questions.

“Just talk. Tell me why I didn’t heal right away.” 

“It’s like a post-hypnotic suggestion. You _believed_ you were going to be vulnerable and you believed you wouldn’t heal, like with the tincture and the vodka; your body accepted that explanation and behaved accordingly.” He frowned. “I thought it would scare you, but pain doesn’t scare you anymore. It doesn’t make you feel alive because you can shut it off and lock it away. You did that with your healing ability too.”

“So you went with a different…plan to snap me out of it?”

"Yes."

"Why that?"

“On some level, you’re in denial about being an Omega. You hate it so much you won't do something even if it feels good because of the association.”

“I’m not in denial, it’s all I think about some days.”

“Doesn’t mean you’ve fully accepted it and integrated it into your identity.”

“Okay, so I don’t like to bottom. I don’t want people to realize I’m an Omega because they’ll treat me differently. Brian knows. I told him about it. I’m not in denial.”

“I got to your subconsciousness when you dissociated. I was looking for it this time, and you started talking. In one breath you’d beg me not to induce your heat, and with the next you’d deny being Isaac. You claimed you were a Beta named Daniel.”

“I was tied naked over a table. I probably would’ve said anything to be let up.”

“You weren’t reasoning then. You weren’t capable of it. You just kept getting deeper into denial, so I felt I needed to shake you out of it.”

“How is what you did an approved form of treatment?”

“It isn’t.” Chris toyed with the water bottle. “It got the reaction I wanted. It pulled you out of wherever you go when you’re in pain, and it broke through to Isaac the Omega.”

“You said you break your clients.”

“I break down their barriers. I do it in ways that are absolutely unethical by the standards of anyone who’d call themselves a therapist.”

“You have sex with them?”

“Some of them.”

“The ones with Daddy issues.”

“Some of them.”

“Why did you do it to me?” He struggled to get the words out. “Why did I need to be shocked like that?”

“I asked you why you were afraid of having your heat. You told me that you couldn’t face it. You’d rather die that go into heat again.”

“I was probably scared from the pain.”

“You couldn’t feel the pain anymore, you weren’t afraid of dying because you asked me to put you out of your misery, so I had to…I decided to try scaring you another way.”

“Well, you didn’t help with the self-hatred.” Isaac wiped away a tear. “You showed me my worst nightmare. You made me…even though you’d just been using the flail on that part.”

“That’s the least impressive of my tricks. You were blocking out pain, so I went for pleasure instead. I’ve whipped a woman’s breasts and then made her come by brushing a feather over her nipple.”

“You said that-”

“I said everything I could think of that diminished you as an individual and as an Omega. You logically know that you have value and that you're loved, but your insecurities, your guilt, and the twisted up feelings from when you were in the shelter still cloud that. I did it to you because the same kind of thing worked on me.” He leaned back in his chair. “You think you hate being an Omega because society believes you’re weak, constantly horny and desperate for cock? At least Omegas have rights in our society. Try being raised as a hunter and killer of supernatural creatures and then getting turned into a Werewolf.” He tossed his bottle cap at Isaac. “There’s no law against someone killing me humanely.”

“It’s worse than being raised in the Klan and suddenly turning into a person of color.”

“Yes. And you weren’t the only one with identity issues.” He sighed. “The difference is that you _don’t_ hurt other people and you don’t even have the urge. I spent years finding ways to deal with my self-hatred.”

“You took it out on other Werewolves.”

“Correct. I hated them. I felt like the didn’t deserve to feel happy and safe when I couldn’t. Every kill made me feel validated when I pushed that part of myself away. Eventually, I couldn’t push it down. Full moons got difficult again, and that’s when I started experimenting with aconite.” Isaac paused with the bottle halfway to his lips. “I told myself it was to keep people from figuring out what I was, and I would make sure to get a little bit injured so they could see me bleed. Then I told myself I just wanted to remember what it was like to be human and vulnerable.”

“What happened?”

“The Hale family. Over the years, I started to appreciate them as people. Talia Hale played the violin. She worked at it for decades and played like an angel. Derek’s father used to paint. His grandmother could talk about crossing the street and make you piss your pants laughing.” He smiled and chuckled. “Have Peter tell you her joke about the two nuns and the vampire, sometime.”

“I will.” He watched the creases move from the corners of Chris’s eyes to between his forehead as he went from smiling to frowning.

“You weren’t actively trying to kill yourself, Isaac, but you were seeking out closure, engaging in behavior that was riskier than usual, and you didn’t seem to care what was happening to you, even when I told you that you were in danger and showed you the needle.” Chris got up and took his bottle to the recycle bin. He returned and sat down across from a still-silent Isaac. “If you were dissociating, you might not even realize why you were walking in front of a train, so I decided not to wait. I chose to dig out your deepest fear and make you face it.”

Isaac had been angry when he’d torn a table in half and ripped at Chris’s face. He’d been furious at Chris’s audacity to tie him down, beat him and then expect him to clean up the bathroom. His self-righteous rage at the Alpha’s demand that Isaac take the blame for ‘seducing’ Chris with his heat had been overwhelming. Because he _knew_ he wasn’t worthless. He knew he was loved. He knew Omegas weren’t ‘asking for it’, and that Alphas were still responsible when they committed assaults.

“I _did_. I mean, I did face it.”

“You’ve been your own worst enemy, just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, having so many terrible things happen to you over several years makes it hard to remember that when all you can think of is the bad things you’ve done.”

“What I did in Duke’s apartment, it wasn’t right.” If they were laying their cards on the table, it was fair to bring it up, but Chris wasn’t having it.

“Duke conditioned you to respond to him when you were mentally vulnerable in the stable.”

“He still said no.”

“Yes, but he also had been ordered by your Alpha not to engage with you at all because of the conditioning. You saw one conversation between them when Duke showed up at the apartment, but Peter talked to him many times while negotiating for you.”

“What?” Isaac shook himself out of his self-loathing for a moment.

“A pack Alpha can’t stop one of their members from leaving, but their bond needs time to dwindle before it re-forms. The Alpha can help or hinder this process. Peter bought him off so that he’d stifle the bond right away. It’s why you adjusted to John and Stiles so quickly.”

“What do you mean ‘negotiated’?”

“I mean, Duke didn’t agree right away. He conceded that it was healthier for you to separate from him, but he demanded several things in exchange and said things like ‘I’ll be weaker without him, and an Omega is a good draw for any pack,’.”

“What do you mean a draw?”

“He only had the twins and Jackson willing to consider staying with him. If he made it known in the community that he had an Omega in his pack, it would draw plenty of attention. It makes an Alpha look good if he or she has a mature Omega.” Chris must’ve read Isaac’s expression.

“So Peter-”

“ _Peter_ ordered all of his Betas to never bring up your status around strangers, or anyone who doesn’t already know.” Chris could tell he was surprised. “He also demanded that Duke keep your status a secret as well. He doesn’t want anyone around who’d be drawn to the pack just because of your status.”

“The day of the housewarming party.”

“Negotiations hadn’t been going well. Peter didn’t want to offer an alliance, he preferred to give him money and property because he doesn’t trust him. Then Duke showed up at the apartment, he was trying to show Peter that he still had influence over you. It was a power play to threaten Peter.”

“That’s why he gave him the…eyedrops, right?”

“Duke is very powerful, and very dangerous. Peter didn’t know him personally, but Talia did, and he definitely preferred Duke when he was blind. But if it meant you stayed, he was willing to give him the treatment.”

“Duke actually used me as an…”

“Asset to be traded and sold.” Chris shrugged. “Peter was happy to pay for your freedom. He even continued talking to Duke and helping him with a territory dispute in L.A. in order to keep things friendly.”

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t feel bad for Duke. Learn from it, and how to recognize conditioned behavior, and then move on.” He paused. “Don’t feel bad for me, either.”

“What do you mean?”

“You already have a history of people doing things without proper consent. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway because I thought it would have a good outcome. Doesn’t mean I had the right. I’m not going to lie to Peter, he had his doubts about my methods, but I convinced him to trust me.”

“Do you regret it?”

“Not at the moment.”

“How far were you willing to go?” Isaac wasn’t sure he wanted the answer, but he asked anyway. “If your other plan didn’t break me, what else would you have done?”

“I don’t know.”

“Would you have fucked me?”

“No. There’s no way I could’ve done it without hurting you, and pain wasn’t working.”

“Oh.” He blushed a little.

“If you’d asked me in our sessions, I would have worked you up to it, but you haven’t been fucked in almost a year and you’re not in heat yet.”

“Did you want to?”

“Being in control turns me on. I like fucking in bondage and you’re objectively…perfect. But if you were interested in me the way I thought you were when we first met, I’d have avoided sex because of my relationship with Stiles. I still avoided letting you see me naked for the same reason.”

“Thought I wouldn’t be able to resist the White Rhino?”

“I haven’t forgiven Lydia for telling you guys that story, but yes, it’s a novelty, like your Omega status. People see me and assume that because it’s big that I owe it to people to use it.”

“Okay, for one thing, it’s _freakishly_ big,” Isaac said, and Chris laughed. Some of the tension broke between them. “For another, yeah, I can see how people would make assumptions.” He took his bottle to the recycle bin and came back. “Stiles told me some of the crazier things people have said to him, thinking it wasn’t offensive. Like one girl asked if she could stick her fingers up his butt to see what it was like. And this wasn’t even a girl he was dating.”

“Does anyone you see at the club know about it?”

“Only Brian. I’m glad I told him because he steered me away from an Omega breeding fantasy.”

“I call that group the ‘Pony Boys’. They’re a good bunch and they don’t shame anyone. Pretty good sports when it comes to role-play, too.”

“So they just take turns each week participating in each member’s fantasy?”

“Yeah. It gets pretty wild, but I never have to talk to them about following the rules.”

“How long have you been into the scene?” Isaac relaxed a little.

“Since college. Peter loved role-play, believe it or not, and he got me into the scene. I could let loose with him, and vice versa-I guess we both had things to work out-but it did teach me a lot.”

“I absolutely believe Peter’s into role-play.”

“He’s such a drama queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts. 
> 
> This is not how you handle someone who is suicidal.


	16. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac and Chris break down some barriers and have some honesty....and sexy time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta read. I will update with corrections as I notice them.

Isaac fell asleep on the ride back to the hotel but let Chris guide him upstairs. He looked around with fresh eyes and realized he hadn’t noticed any of the details of the room he'd rented and that he’d only packed one spare set of clothes. He wasn’t sure what it said about his state of mind at the time he’d left Beacon Hills, but he didn’t want to think too hard about it.

“When are you flying back?” Chris asked, gently. Isaac pulled up his airline membership app and found that he hadn’t booked a return flight. He started to get upset, but the Alpha just patted his back, comfortingly. “Get some sleep, you were out of it, and it was probably just an oversight.”

“Yeah.” Isaac nodded. “At least Stiles had a concussion when he was out of his mind.”

“You’re not out of your mind, Isaac. You unconsciously found a way to cope with a terrible trauma, but processing that trauma was stunted for years. You had no way of knowing it was happening.” The Omega nodded as he listened, but he didn’t know what to say. “We should get some rest, it’s been a rough day.” He headed for the door.

“Can you stay?” Chris turned back around and nodded.

“Yes. Do you want me in here, or do you want me to just open the adjoining door?”

“There’s an adjoining door?” Isaac rubbed his head, tiredly and to his surprise, Chris pulled him into a tight hug.

“It’s okay, Isaac. I’m taking you home in the morning, and you can just rest.” He held the younger man who let loose and started to sob.

“I can’t stop crying, lately,” he sniffled.

“Crying is a good thing. Keeping things bottled up is a bad thing.” Isaac cried, and then cried some more even though he thought he was done. Chris kept prompting him to respond to little questions, not letting him slip into the tempting headspace where he felt nothing. Eventually he was guided into the bathroom by the older man. The Alpha turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. “Get undressed, Isaac.” He obeyed but continued to answer the little questions that Chris asked him. Was the water too hot? No. Was he hungry? Yes, but too tired to eat. Did he want to call anyone? No. Isaac was a little surprised when Chris removed his own shirt after sending Isaac under the spray.

“You didn’t strike me as the aftercare kind of guy.” Isaac felt Chris’s hands on his scalp as the Alpha rubbed shampoo into his hair.

“Depends on who I’m with. You weren’t looking for a safe space, that part I got right. I always tried to take care of you after our sparring sessions, though.”

“Yeah, I guess you did.” Chris was always making sure he drank enough water and usually getting him a snack afterwards and making sure he was cooling down properly. “Was there anything psychological going on with the sparring?”

“You seemed so fragile, I wanted to make you stronger. When I heard from Ms. Manning that you were beyond her, I realized I’d need to see you myself. I’m sorry I misread your signals, maybe I was seeing what I wanted to see. I haven’t had a partner with a tolerance like yours in a long time.” He rinsed Isaac’s hair and then started gently massaging the Omega’s shoulders with soapy hands.

“How did you start doing…specialty?”

“Initially because other people needed it. People who needed to jump without a safety net. People who needed that extra layer of fear and risk. Humans sometimes have to deal with things like chronic pain and health problems on top of the mental health issues that are chemical in nature. Wolves tend to take those things for granted and we forget to be grateful. Over time it causes a restlessness that’s hard to tame.”

“What did you need?” Isaac let Chris raise his arms and soap his pits and then his ribs and back. His belly tightened when the hunter hit a ticklish spot. “You’ve said it’s not completely altruistic.”

“Mostly it’s about control. I mentioned before that I don’t consider myself a sadist, but I have a lot of anger issues and being violent is one way I cope.”

“Is it always at the club?” He heard the man chuckle, softly.

“No. I used to have to find partners online when I wasn’t in the club scene. I was too visible in public for a while, but I eventually met some people and invested privately.” Isaac paused the questions while Chris finished washing him and he moved to the back of the shower while the older man switched places with him. He watched the strong, brutal hands as they moved efficiently to soap up and wash. Chris lacked the thicker frame Peter had, but his muscles looked more sharply cut into his physique. He turned around to rinse his short hair and Isaac stared, openly.

Chris’s penis hung flaccid and thick and Isaac tried not to feel inadequate. He glanced up and met the Alpha’s gaze. Chris looked neither smug nor offended, he just turned off the water. He dried Isaac off and then himself before guiding the Omega out to the bedroom where he pulled back the covers on the bed. Isaac didn’t have any clean clothes, so he just got between the sheets naked while Chris went to the other room and came back with a pair of boxer-briefs on.

“Roll over onto your stomach,” Chris said, quietly and Isaac obeyed. He felt the Alpha’s warm hand rub comforting circles on his back going from his shoulders down to his hips and back up. “You can sleep now, you’ve earned it.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll sleep a bit, then I’ll run out and get you something to wear for the trip home, and I’ll wake you up when it’s time to eat if you’re still sleeping.”

“Okay.” Isaac drifted off, feeling like his body was heavy but his mind was light. He relished in the sensation of Chris’s hand on him giving comfort and pressing down just enough for him to feel anchored and held.

~

Isaac woke up to pee at one point, but the blackout curtains covered the window, so he had no idea what time it was. He still felt the kind of fatigue that made his bones ache and crawled back into bed. Chris was still there, and he opened his arms automatically when Isaac curled up against his chest. He felt the gentle brush of the man’s beard at his nape as he drifted back off to sleep.

Pressure against the back of Isaac’s legs and shoulders roused him from his fitful dreams. He groaned as shifting made his hard cock brush against the too-firm mattress. His muscles were tense, but it took him a moment to realize why. A leg was across the back of his knees and a forearm was across the back of his shoulders, pressing him down.

“Wha?” he mumbled.

“You’re awake now?” Chris’s voice, impossibly deeper with the raspiness of sleep, growled in his ear. Isaac was pressing back against the warm body in bed with him.

“Shit,” he whined, forcing his body to relax and his fingers to release that buttock they’d been clutching, “sorry.” He’s been sleep-molesting Chris and trying to rub his ass against the Alpha’s crotch, even going as far as to clutch at the man’s hip in his sleepy desperation. “I don’t know what happened.” A twist of anxiety spiked through him with a worried thought.

“You’re not going into heat,” Chris reassured him, as if reading his mind. “You’re in bed with someone and you woke up horny.” He pressed his thick, plumped semi-erection against the Omega’s ass. “Happens to all of us. I’m actually not completely sure that I didn’t start it.”

“Things got pretty intense, and you never got off, did you?” Isaac asked.

“No, but I’ve learned to enjoy delayed gratification.”

“How long are you planning to delay your gratification?” Isaac asked and felt the Alpha go still. Emboldened by their shared experience, or just too sleepy to care about shame, he went on, “I’m feeling like I might want to positively reinforce some self-acceptance.” He felt Chris’s hand rest on his bare hip and then smooth down around his ass and back up to his waist. He closed his eyes and felt his hole spasm once, letting out a tiny trickle of slick. He heard the hunter’s sharp inhale. “I just don’t want to be in control of it yet.”

“Tell me what I can and can’t do.”

“I’ll feel terrible later if you do something now for my benefit that you wouldn’t want to do on your own.” He turned his head to look up at the hunter. “I’m confused about a lot of things right now, I can’t _not_ care about what happens when we get back to Beacon Hills where Stiles, Peter, and my dad will want some kind of explanation.” He licked his lips and felt the older man’s dick twitch against him. “And don’t just ask me what I want. I want to know how you feel, and what you want, for a change.”

“I don’t plan to keep what happened here a secret, but the details are extremely personal, and I want you to choose how much of that you share. That being said, I stand by my earlier statement that I find you very appealing. You’re not just attractive but appealing as a person and sexy as Hell.” He pressed a soft, gently kiss to Isaac’s temple. “I think there’s more I can offer you as a mentor and a Dom, but I’d need to keep it separate from our personal lives. Not secret, but separate.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to be ready to… _be with_ , anyone for a while. You’re right, I don’t want to date you the way you and Peter and Stiles see each other, but I _do_ want to explore this…whatever’s going on in my head.” He could practically hear Chris thinking.

“I need to separate what I do here from the rest of my life, so the club, these rooms, and maybe a later negotiated area can be our zones where we work. Otherwise, our relationship remains more of a mentorship and friendship.”

“That works for me.” Isaac relaxed. He didn’t need Stewart or the club, he needed a boundary within his mind. He needed to know where he could let go and where he needed to hold on. “I know the experiences are always going to be with me, so if I can’t erase what Duke did, can you…overwrite it? I don’t want him to be the only one I remember.” He laid his head back on Chris’s bicep. “It was far too good in the worst ways.”

“Did you have any sexual experience before Duke?”

“None. I was a bullied, gawky loser. When I was in pre-heat, they tested me with the Alphas, and I responded to Duke. They gave us a lot of contact while keeping us separated by bars. Maybe you know this already.”

“Stiles and I weren’t too chatty at that point.”

“Anyway,” Isaac paused, choking down his shame, “Duke would use his mouth on me, but then he used his fingers, and eventually he used a tool to get me off.”

“A heat aid?” Isaac burned and contemplated just saying yes, but Chris’s hand smoothed down his back in a comforting gesture. “What happened?”

“He used a banana.”

“And?”

“He used a piece of fucking fruit! And I was totally into it.”

“Okay…” Chris paused. “That’s not weird, Isaac; considering the situation, and even in general, it’s not that big of a deal. Lots of people experiment with whatever’s available.”

“I remember it feeling so intense.”

“Your first sexual experience was when you hit your first heat as an Omega, while you were lacking a huge piece of your higher reasoning. Heats dull awareness and pain, they intensify feelings of arousal and pleasure, and from the perspective of someone whose wife had very intense heats, it makes it much easier to get your partner off when they’re in estrus.” He nuzzled Isaac’s hair. “There’s so much more to sex than whatever Duke was doing.” He shifted and turned Isaac’s face up to his. He lowered his mouth and kissed him gently. “Let me show you how to love your body.”

Isaac found himself lying on his back as the Alpha kissed and caressed him all over. Chris patiently aroused him with unhurried kisses, gentle touches and licks. He didn’t go near the younger man’s ass, just focused on other sensitive areas like the crease of his elbow and behind his knees. Eventually, the Omega’s cock was hard, curved up against his belly, and shining at the tip with precome.

Chris slid his hands under Isaac’s ass and held him still when he started sucking the younger man’s cock. It was bliss and he fought against the strong grip in order to try and thrust up into the wet heat of the hunter’s mouth. He whined and writhed on his back, grasping frantically at Chris’s hair.

“I’m gonna come,” he wheezed, unable to find his voice. He’d had plenty of oral sex, but this was on another level. He was seeing stars when his abs clenched as he curled his body up around the older man. “Fuck,” he gasped as his body went boneless.

“Eventually,” Chris said, sounding a bit smug. Isaac looked down at the man who was on his hands and knees, crawling up the bed while Isaac lay helpless and weak.

“Let me see it,” he gasped.

“What?”

“I want to see it. Take it out.” He let his breath catch up with him and gestured vaguely at Chris’s midsection. “I was in the middle of an identity crisis the last time, so I didn't get more than a peek.” Chris shrugged and sat back on his heels, straddling Isaac’s thighs. He wore navy blue boxer-briefs which didn’t do much to hide his size. He worked the waistband down and hooked it behind his balls while the Omega stared, silently.

“Want me to put it back?” Chris asked, drily.

“You can leave it out, just don’t come any closer.” He dropped his head back to the mattress and listened to Chris’s soft chuckle. Isaac heard the waistband snap back into place and then felt Chris crawl back over him.

“Why did you put it away?” he asked, running his hands down the hunter’s sides. He let the man kiss him again, tasting traces of himself. “I might want to touch it.”

“We’ve got time.” He rubbed his erection against the Omega’s sweaty stomach and after a few minutes of kissing and nuzzling, Isaac’s own cock began to stir again. Chris rolled him onto his stomach. “I’m going to get knot block soon if I don’t get off.” He worked his shorts down again and Isaac felt the thrill of anticipation when the man rested the thick organ against his ass. “You don’t have to do anything.” His voice got deeper, and the Omega felt himself melting into the mattress as the Alpha pushed the shorts down and off. He straddled Isaac’s hips and kissed his way up the slender back and set his teeth against the younger man’s nape.

“Ah,” Isaac hissed and clenched his fingers in the blankets. Chris gripped his wrists and pinned them down on either side of his head. He felt the warmth of arousal returning with speed as the hunter took a dominant pose.

“Be my Good Boy.” He pressed his throbbing, hard erection along Isaac’s ass, the way Derek had during his knot block. He rocked up hard and the friction against his sensitive hole was too sweet. He moaned as the Alpha picked up speed, and felt it when slick started to escape. The cock was gliding smoothly now, and Chris was bending his knees to get low enough that the tip was brushing against the puckered, glossy opening, leaving traces of precome there. “So perfect,” the man whispered as he rutted against his Boy.

“Chris,” Isaac hissed, fisting his hands under the other man’s grip. “Feels so good.”

“I’m coming,” he whispered and spurted thick ropes of come all over Isaac’s back. He ground his softening dick between the Omega’s cheeks and pressed his face into the curly hair. “Fuck, you smell so good right now.” They opted to shower in order to avoid stickiness. Isaac was pretty excited, but the warm water helped calm him down until Chris put his arms around him and started kissing him again. “Face the wall.” Isaac’s belly fluttered when he heard to soft command, and turned, folding his arms against the cool time and resting his forehead against them. “Feet apart.” He obeyed and felt his cock jump right back to attention when Chris knelt behind him.

Isaac felt Chris’s rough thumb rubbing against the outside of his hole, bringing all the blood rushing to it and making it even more sensitive. He planted a kiss there and then held his cheeks open while delving in with his tongue. It was different without the pain driving up the intensity, but no less pleasurable. Isaac was moaning like he was making porn when Chris’s tongue breached him and rubbed the inside of the rim. He was pushing back against the man’s face and reminding himself not to reach for his own dick when Chris pressed a finger deep inside him. The sensation was a surprise and he clenched automatically.

Chris’s mouth was against Isaac’s ear as the sound of the water and the rushing of his own blood drowned out nearly everything else.

“I’m gonna make you come, Isaac,” his voice was a harsh whisper. “I’m gonna make you spray the wall with it.” He worked his finger in and out, rubbing the Omega’s sensitive prostate. “Gonna make you come so _hard_.” Isaac cried out, digging his fingers into his arms as his muscles locked up and he came with Chris milking his prostate. The sensation went from bliss to overstimulation quickly, but the Alpha sensed it and gently withdrew his finger. He pulled Isaac into a hug and kissed him.

Isaac was dazed as Chris helped him dry off, and the Alpha led him through his own hotel room and into the adjoining one. It was cooler in there, and it cleared his head. He reached out and pushed Chris up against the wall. The man let himself be pressed back and smiled when Isaac gave him a hungry look.

“I want to see it,” he pawed at the towel Chris had around his hips until it fell away. His cock rested thick but limp between his legs. “I want to suck it.”

“Do it, get on your knees.”

Isaac rubbed his face against the organ, enjoying the clean scent of skin and a hint of Alpha arousal. While he might not have had Chris’s skill, he’d definitely practiced this particular act, and went to work. He was pleased at how quickly the organ stiffened and thickened in his mouth. He jerked it hard while gently teasing the plump testicles and sucked them into his mouth. Chris groaned and buried his fingers in Isaac’s curls. “Just like that,” he whispered as Isaac tried out the trick he’d seen Stiles use on Derek’s balls and felt the man’s leg twitch out to the side. He worked him hard and fast, the way he suspected the Alpha liked it.

“You close?” he asked, pulling off one of the balls.

“I want your mouth on me when I come,” Chris growled, and Isaac sucked him down. He couldn’t deep throat without risking a lung, but he’d gotten the man wet and dripping with saliva so he could bob his head fast and suck hard. He pressed against the spot behind his balls when he started to come, and drew out his climax. As Chris cursed and came down his throat. “Fuck,” he panted. “Made my knees, weak.” He steered Isaac to the neat bed that didn’t stink of sweat and sex yet. “Rest a few, we’ll pick this up again.” He cuddled the Omega close, spooning him and rumbling softly in his chest. He must’ve known something Isaac didn’t because the Omega dropped off without realizing he was even drowsy.


	17. Sex Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Sex. Feels.

~This has not been Beta read. I will fix errors as I find them. Please feel free to mention it if you find one.~

Isaac woke himself up moaning. He was achingly hard, and something amazing was happening with his sensitive hole. He pushed back burying his face in a pillow and tilting his ass up.

“You awake?” Chris’s tone was amused. It seemed to be a quickly-forming habit with them, falling asleep together and Isaac getting excited in his sleep. The Alpha’s fingers were rubbing outside of his slick entrance and he felt the deep throb in his gut, craving penetration.

“Yes,” he groaned. “Sorry if I attacked you in my sleep again,” he mumbled, shifting around so his hard cock was flattened against his belly. He felt Chris’s hands smooth up his back and arched into the touch like a cat.

“Do you want me to make you feel good?” The deep voice was addicting when it was sleepy and aroused.

“I wish I could fuck your voice,” he mumbled and heard the older man chuckle. “Seriously, it doesn’t make me hot when we’re fighting or anywhere else, but here?” He fisted his hands in the sheets. “I can’t get enough.”

“Want me to talk to you some more?”

“Yeah.” Isaac wanted to ask him to fuck him, but he couldn’t make the request come out. Chris seemed to understand it.

“Do you want me in control?”

“Yes.” Isaac’s fingers relaxed once he’d spoken and he felt relieved when Chris started moving instead of asking more questions.

“Gonna be my Good Boy, now.” Chris’s voice got deeper and he didn’t ask for confirmation. Isaac heard him rummage around in the bag that sat beside the bed and then the Alpha was putting a gag between his teeth and fastening it behind his head. “Now we can get started.”

Twenty minutes later, Isaac was bent, sweaty and trembling, over Chris’s thighs. His ass was hot and stinging from the spanking that the hunter was giving him, and his hands were bound behind his back. His dick was rubbing against the inside of the hunter’s leg and it was getting hard to hold back. He wasn’t restricted, he just wanted to prolong it, since Argent’s arm was tireless. The sound of the impact of hand on flesh changed and Isaac blushed hotter when he realized his slick was dribbling out and wetting the man’s hand.

“That’s it, Isaac.” Chris’s voice continued to encourage him as the blows rained down on the Omega’s ass. He raised his ass to greet the next one, but Chris grabbed a handful of his curls and jerked his head up, arching his back while two fingers plunged into his hole. “Being so perfect,” he growled as he fucked his fingers in and out, rapidly. Isaac’s legs stiffened and he came hard as the digits penetrating him rubbed his prostate. He was steered to his feet and then pushed forward over the mattress bound wrists unable to catch him when he fell. Hands grabbed his ankles and jerked them open and the mattress dipped between his knees.

Chris shoved Isaac’s legs underneath him, so he was kneeling with his face against the mattress. He felt the spongy, thick head of the Alpha’s cock press against his hole and inside before he could clench up. “You’re so tight, I could just fuck the rim and come.” He moved only a few centimeters at a time, just getting friction on the super-sensitive ring of muscle. “Bear down now, Boy.” He pushed in and Isaac’s breath felt forced out of his lungs. It was intense and painful, but there was no tearing and then he paused, letting Isaac suck air in through his nose. He felt so full it was overwhelming.

The Omega shifted his knees a little wider, as if it would open up some space in his anus, but the hunter spoke again. “Bear down again, it gets wider at this part till the base, and I’m going the rest of the way in.” Isaac let out a whimper, because apparently there was yet more cock to come. He curled his toes, bore down and pushed back. “Good Boy,” Chris moaned and slid in the rest of the way until his hips were against Isaac’s. He put his hands on the Omega’s slim waist and started fucking immediately in long, steady thrusts.

Isaac closed his eyes and arched his back, earning a grunt of approval from the hunter who managed to get that tiny bit deeper. “Feel so fucking good, so wet and hot and tight. I could fuck you for days. Keep going till you go into heat for me and knot you over and over again. I’ll keep you so full of come, you’ll feel empty if it’s not dripping down your thighs.” His deep, voice as he hissed his thoughts in the younger man’s ear made the Omega’s dick twitch. “You should see how you look stretched around my cock like this!”

Chris started to get loud as he moved his hands to Isaac’s hips, holding him still while he pounded up into him. “Isaac! Oh God, I’m gonna come. Fuck! I’m gonna come in your ass!” He was practically shouting the last part and Isaac buried his face in the mattress as the raking of Argent’s cock against his prostate wrung another orgasm out of him, which barely registered except he tightened up around the massive tool inside of him. Chris came loudly, moaning and groaning as he pumped inside the younger man.

The bonds loosened and Isaac’s arms dropped to his sides as the hunter caught his breath. The gag was unfastened while his hole was throbbing around the still-hard dick. Eventually Chris withdrew slowly, far more gently than he’d entered, and Isaac felt a spark of pride for the man’s eagerness. He was handed a bottle of water and rolled onto his side. Chris rubbed his lower belly, as if he knew the Omega would be feeling it in his gut. He put his arms around Isaac and drew the sheet over them. He dozed lightly without being aware of the passage of time until he heard the rattling of the housekeeping carts banging around the hallway. He blinked at the clock which indicated it was past seven in the morning. A thought occurred to him and he spoke to the man tucked at his back.

“You didn’t knot me,” he rasped and took a sip of water.

“I’d tear you,” Chris replied. “You’re not in heat, so it takes more time to work up to it.” He took a sip from the water bottle and handed it back to Chris who placed it on the table. “There are few things I’d rather do than have your ass squeezing the Hell out of my knot, but you know what they say, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’.”

“Did you just pirate Uncle Ben from Spiderman to refer to your monster knot?” Chris was laughing into the back of his neck. “The arrogance!”

“My knot wouldn’t be a problem if the base wasn’t already so thick,” Chris humble-bragged with an exaggerated frustration. “It’s a curse.”

After showering in their own bathrooms, Chris got packed and Isaac dressed in the sweatpants and t-shirt that Chris had bought for him while he’d been asleep the previous day. They checked their respective phones and Isaac guiltily returned several of John’s text messages, assuring the sheriff that he was okay and would be returning home soon. He’d forgotten about the fishing trip they were supposed to take, and sent an apology to the group too. He went into Chris’s room and saw a frown on the older man’s face.

“I completely forgot about Allison, how is she?”

“Seems okay, she didn’t actually get a concussion, Peter just planted the suggestion that she has a headache and fatigue.”

“It’s terrifying what Pack Alphas can do, especially to humans.”

“Yes, but humans are immune from Alpha influence, unlike us.”

“We should get back to Beacon Hills before Allison sees her apartment.”

“Too late,” Chris sighed. “The cops connected the break-in at the complex to the bag of stuff, and someone’s called her about her laptop.”

“Is she coming back?”

“Yeah, Lydia’s driving her back later today. She wants me to meet her down here.”

“Okay, I’ll get a flight back up.” Isaac pulled up his airline with his phone. He noticed Chris looking at him with a conflicted expression. “It’s okay, Chris. You dropped everything to come save me, including Allison’s pseudo-concussion. You guys are just getting back to something good, and you definitely shouldn’t miss out because you’re taking care of me.” He saw the older man about to protest. “I actually do need to talk to John and Peter. I need to tell them some things I’ve been hiding. I need to see Kira, and as good as it feels to be here with you, I have to do these things to move forward.”

“Alright,” Chris nodded, “I’ll take you to the airport.”

Isaac had found a flight that he and Chris had to rush out the door to meet, but Isaac’s frequent flyer status afforded him a faster check-in and he arrived at the gate just as the flight was about to board. He texted Chris a photo of himself in his seat with a bloody Mary in hand and the hunter replied that he was jealous.

Isaac sent a group text to his pack to let them know when he was arriving and Peter replied that he’d make sure someone was there to meet him, despite his protests. He dozed on the brief flight, amazed that he could sleep considering how much of the last twenty-four hours he’d spent unconscious. He blearily made his way to the exit amidst the throngs of people coming and going. He saw a text on his phone and smiled, moving to the pickup zone. Derek was leaning against the Camaro and embraced him tightly when he approached. He buried his face in the Alpha’s neck, relieved to feel the strong arms gripping him tightly.

“Missed you,” Derek said, rubbing his cheek against Isaac’s neck.

“Does that mean all my dirty laundry is in your room?”

“Yup.”

“Okay.” Isaac slid into the passenger seat and Derek jumped behind the wheel. “You came out here in the middle of the day,” he said smiling.

“I was motivated.” Derek did look nervous until they hit the highway and headed towards home. Once his knuckles went from white to pink, Isaac started talking.

“How much did Chris and Peter tell you?”

“They were more about asking than telling; they didn’t want to violate your privacy. They asked if you and I spoke before you left, and how you were acting.”

“I was pretty out of it,” Isaac said closing his eyes and letting his head loll back against the headrest. “I wasn’t even aware of the wolfsbane wearing off. I thought my senses were still dulled, I was on autopilot and not even aware that Chris had checked into the room next to mine.” He smiled. “It was pretty wild.”

“Sounds scary.”

“Yeah. I guess I’ve been…dissociating from stuff and not dealing with it. Not as bad as some people, but I’ve been blocking out the bad stuff.”

“I can relate.” Derek rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, nervously. “I got hit with a tidal wave of emotions when I got my mind back. Chris’s Alpha, Satomi, helped me with some tea and meditation. How did you snap out of it?”

“In a way, Chris beat it out of me, or into me, depending on how you look at it. I guess I…” He pressed his lips together struggling with the words. “I was definitely in denial about who and what I am. I couldn’t truly accept being an Omega as part of my identity. It genuinely felt like I was one person before my pack got wiped out, a different person when I presented as Omega and had my first heat, and then a third person after I came back. It was like three different lives, and I was only working on putting one and two together.”

“Understandable.”

“Knowing that I’m an Omega and actually integrating it into my identity are apparently two different things.”

“PTSD.”

“Big time. You too?”

“Yup.”

“Quite a pair.”

“Yeah.” They drove in silence for a bit, and then Derek took the exit for Beacon Hills. “What do you need from me now? I want to help you, partly because I want to feel useful, but also because I care about you.”

“I’m not sure. I still have to cope with a lot of survivor’s guilt, and I’m not going to stop going to the club. Is it okay if I talk to Peter about it?”

“Yeah, of course. I didn’t tell him too much, but we thought you were in danger.”

“I was. I mean, I had a breakthrough, but it’s not like my issues are going to vanish just because I’m aware of them.”

“Peter told me that Duke had you conditioned to act in a certain way and took advantage of it.” Isaac looked out his window and slumped in his seat.

“Yeah. I can’t help feeling like I was partly responsible, but yeah.”

“If Kate hadn’t died before I came back, I don’t know if I could’ve even defended myself against her. Not even if she was holding me at gunpoint with wolfsbane bullets.” Derek slowed down and stopped at a red light with his blinker on. Isaac realized they weren’t going straight to the apartment. “My attachment to her was like Peter and Stiles, except I was so isolated, she was the only thing in my life for so long. Then it was Lydia. I still struggle with that.” He jerked his chin to the right. “I’m taking you to Peter’s, if that’s okay.”

Isaac walked into his Alpha’s apartment and felt more of the tension in his chest ease. He’d felt it before, when Derek had gone into rut and Peter had used his influence to draw them to him. It hadn’t been traumatic or made him feel out of control, it had been a relief to just give himself over to his Alpha’s care. He felt the older wolf before he saw him and Derek squeezed his shoulder, as if trying to lend him strength. From the heartbeats, he knew there were several humans in the apartment with him and Scott, and that Peter was currently in the shower.

“Hey, Man.” The crooked-jawed wolf came out of the back bedroom and slapped the back of Isaac’s shoulder when he hugged him. “Good to have you back.” He ran his fingers through the Omega’s hair, ruffling it as he scented him. He wasn’t used to doing it discreetly.

“Good to be home.”

“Isaac?” Allison poked her head out of the guest bedroom. She was wearing a long shirt and leggings, and looked a bit pale.

“Hi, how’re you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess.” She bit her lip and looked at Scott and Derek. “Um, can I talk to you for a minute, Isaac?” He nodded and followed her back to the guest room where Lydia and Stiles were lying on the bed. “Can we have a quick sec?” she asked and a moment later they were alone. Isaac glanced at the door, not sure how Derek would be around Lydia.

“Where’s Peter?” he asked, trying to get past the awkward silence.

“I think he’s in the shower.”

 _“I’ll be right out, Isaac.”_ He heard Peter mumble through the wall.

“How’s your head?” he asked. Allison reached up and touched her hair, briefly before bringing her arm down and shrugging.

“It’s okay, I guess. I’m just tired.” She fidgeted a little and bit her lip. “So I heard you had some kind of emergency.” Isaac waited, too uncomfortable to jump in and offer information. “And Dad had to leave.”

_“No one told her anything about your situation, Isaac. You don’t have to answer her.”_

“Is that what you wanted to say?”

“No, I wanted to say I’m sorry for how I acted.” She looked troubled. “That didn’t come out right, the first thing. I’m a little discombobulated. I’m having trouble putting things in order, sorry. I meant to start with the apology, then I was going to ask if you’re okay.”

“I’m okay, thanks.” He gestured at the door. “Is that it?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” He could hear in her heartbeat that she was lying, but he didn’t want to talk to her, so he didn’t push it. He walked out and into Stiles’s arms. He let the other Omega hold him for a few moments and rubbed his face against the human’s neck, getting a chuckle. Lydia hugged him next and told him she was glad he was back. He returned to the living room where Scott waited by himself.

“Where’s Derek?” he asked, and Scott looked uncomfortable.

“He left. He didn’t want to make Lydia nervous.” He spoke quietly despite Lydia already being back in the bedroom with Allison. “They’re leaving once Allison gets dressed. I actually just brought their stuff down to the car.”

“Yes, thank you, Scott.” Lydia came out of the bedroom. “She’ll be out in a few minutes and we’ll try and get on the road before one.” Isaac had been on the tarmac in Los Angeles just two hours earlier, and he didn’t like sitting still for the ninety minute flight, he hated to think of the six-hour drive from Beacon Hills to L.A. He caught the banshee’s eyes, which narrowed at him. “You…okay?”

“Ask me in a week or two.”

“Kira’s on her way,” Scott said. He was looking at his phone and then glanced up nervously. “I let her know when you got back,” Scott said. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah.”

“Is anyone hungry?” Peter walked out of the master suite rubbing his hands together. He crossed to Isaac as the others voiced affirmations and hugged his favorite Beta. “I’ll make some sandwiches if you’re famished. I’ve also got some nice smoked salmon that someone caught for me.”

“Oh yeah, how was the fishing trip?” Isaac slid onto a stool and accepted one of the Mexican sodas that Stiles usually stocked at their apartment. The other Omega took the seat beside him and he and Scott related their tales of fishing expertise. Isaac accepted a turkey sandwich with a side of smoked salmon so he could properly praise his friend. Lydia and Allison took their sandwiches for the road and Allison hugged Peter and they exchanged cheek kisses. Several minutes later, Derek came back in looking nervous.

“Salmon?” Peter asked.

“Is that the one Stiles caught?”

“Caught and presented to your truly, a very lucky and appreciative wolf.” Peter placed his palm over his heard and gave Stiles a soft look. “Grab a seat beside my favorite Beta,” he winked at Derek. “Scott was just getting to the part about John standing still in that icy cold stream and waiting until some poor salmon wandered too close.”

“It was epic,” Scott said around a mouthful of sandwich. Kira arrived a few minutes later and Isaac got another hug that lasted for over a minute. Each one felt better than the last.

“What did you do with the Salmon?” Stiles asked the kitsune.

“I poached some of it with lemon and dill, and then made a cold salad for lunch. It was really good.” She eyed the sandwiches. “Is that bacon?”

“Yes, it’s just thicker sliced,” Peter replied. “I had it in a Pub once, it was good.” He offered to make her one, but she’d just eaten her lunch.

They chatted idly for a bit and then Stiles and Scott excused themselves. Derek did as well and when they left, Peter urged him over to the couch.

“We wanted to apologize,” Kira said, surprising the Omega.

“Most sincerely,” Peter added. Isaac was floored and had no idea what to say. He was confused and looked at his Alpha and packmate. For a moment, a flicker of doubt went through him and he wondered if they were apologizing because they were about to do something he wouldn’t like. He quieted his inner voice and waited. “I should have told you about Duke. I knew you were going to L.A. and I knew there was a chance you could run into him.” Peter reached out, placing his hand on Isaac’s shoulder, and the Omega felt his tension drain away. He’d felt a ghost of this bond with Duke when he’d been in the shelter; how easy it had been for him to let go and allow Duke to control him.

“I don’t know what to do.” Isaac didn’t cry this time, because Peter was there, loosening the knot in his chest, and making the words easier to say. “I feel so lost.”

“You’re found, Isaac. You’re not lost anymore. You don’t have to do anything, just be here with us and give yourself a break.” Kira placed her hand on Isaac’s knee. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize what was happening with you, Isaac.”

“Neither did I.”

“I told you I could help you, and that you could rely on me. I missed the signs because I’m so close to you. It was my own ego telling me I knew better than my own training.”

“What happens now?”

“A couple of things, and you’ve got a say in it too, of course.” Peter squeezed his shoulder, gently. “First, I want you to stay here with me for a bit. I think we both need more contact to get the bond settled firmly. Like a lot of urban packs, your family anchored you, but your former Alpha lived some distance away, right?” 

“Yeah, I didn’t see him too often.”

“From what you’ve described, I think you’ve lacked a proper anchor for a very long time. I felt the pull from Malia, Derek, Scott, John Erica and Boyd since turning or taking them into the pack. I felt very little from you, and in my inexperience, I didn’t look further. I thought the bond with your old Alpha was taking time to break.”

“Chris told me you made a deal with him;” he saw Peter frown, “that you sort of bought me from him.”

“You’re not an object Isaac, and I could never buy you from anyone. Before you came back to yourself, I told him I wanted you to stay here and that he couldn’t be your Alpha. He wasn’t in much of a position to argue at the time, but did ask compensation for the loss one of his Betas. It’s fairly normal since I wasn’t giving up any of mine. He wanted more of a partnership and less money, I wanted to give him cash and never see him again. He implied that breaking the fresh bond with you after missing you for years was going to be difficult, so I agreed to help him out with some territory negotiations and a few arms that needed to be twisted.”

“You helped him secure a territory?”

“He can’t hold one right now without killing another Alpha for it, he doesn’t have enough Betas. I negotiated a small area where he and his Betas could stay for a few years.”

“What did you ask in return?”

“He and I spoke several times. I agreed to give him occasional updates on you, but that he was not to have any contact with you at all for at least five years. If the two of you ran into each other at an airport, he was to walk away and not engage with you at all. He broke that part of our agreement. The fact that he immediately called me to tell me about it, and that he expressed sincere regret at causing you more pain is the only thing that saved him from me throwing him out of California.”

“I don’t even know what happened.”

Isaac, Kira and Peter talked late into the night and then Kira left, promising to call him the next day. Peter and Isaac climbed into Peter’s large bed, and the Omega felt his Alpha’s acceptance and love as he drifted off to sleep. The strength of his connection to Peter was like nothing he remembered feeling before. In the weeks that followed, he kept daily contact with Kira at least by phone or text, and visited his apartment, but ultimately continued to sleep over at Peter’s. Most of his previous interactions had involved witnessing some kind of sexual contact between the Alpha and his roommate. While Isaac stayed with him, however, Peter did nothing overtly sexual in front of him or to him.

Isaac also didn’t see Chris in-person. Kira had suggested that Chris occupied too many roles in his life to be truly helpful at this point in the therapy. He was his Alpha’s lover, his roommate’s lover, his now sexually-involved Dom, and his self-defense coach. He was also connected to the club so even if Isaac wasn’t in a session with him, there was still an association. With Peter and Kira’s blessings, he sent texts regularly and made sure the Omega knew he cared about him.

John Stilinski came by the day after Isaac returned from L.A. He’d hugged the younger man, tightly, and Isaac felt the man’s affection and relief through their bond. Peter went out to the store while John was there to give them some privacy. Isaac told him what he understood about himself and what had been happening. John looked sad but reassured the Omega that he was neither angry with him, nor disappointed.

“I’m just so damned glad you called me, Son.”

“Some things were happening that I didn’t understand and wasn’t aware of. I was scared because Chris was breaking through to things I didn’t want to face. Hearing your voice grounded me and I felt like I was going to be okay.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” John replied. “I don’t want to pressure you to act like you feel more comfortable than you are, but it means a lot to me to hear that, Son.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

~

When Isaac went to the apartment for the first time, Peter drove him over but dropped him off at the curb.

“I’ll be in meetings for the next few hours but call me if you need me.” He drove off with a wave and the Omega went inside. He intentionally didn’t listen for his roommates when he got to their floor, because he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear them whispering about him. His roommates were distracted enough that they probably didn’t realize he was there. Stiles was on his knees in front of Derek who was leaning against the kitchen island with a tense expression on his face.

“Knot block again?” he asked, shutting the door behind him. He had some of his dirty laundry in a bag and raised his eyebrows as he walked past them. Stiles held up a finger, indicating he wanted Isaac to wait a moment. “I’m just tossing a load in the washer,” he said.

“I’m tossing one in Stiles,” Derek grunted, and his fingers flexed in the human’s black hair as he came.

“Ha, ha.” Isaac said, blandly as he walked past them. There was already a load in there and the dryer was running, so he left his bag on top and went back to the kitchen where Derek was buckling his belt. He reached for Stiles-who was pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes squeezed shut-and cupped the back of his neck, gently.

“Open your eyes,” he said.

“It’s too bright,” whined the human.

“Migraine?” asked Isaac, turning down the stereo.

“Yeah, and I ran out of my meds last night, I left a message with Dr. Lopez, but the pharmacy doesn’t have the refill yet.”

“Wasn’t she the sketchy one who gave you the creeps?”

“Yeah, but a migraine’s a migraine. I don’t care who writes the prescription for it.”

“Want me to see if Peter can swing back by?”

“Nah, Derek’s going to help me out.” He sighed as black lines climbed up Derek’s forearm and the wolf flinched, slightly. “That’s the good stuff.” The dryer buzzed and Isaac took over the pain draining while Derek went to fold some towels. After Isaac put his clothes in the washing machine, he went to his room and found an empty hamper. He went to Derek’s room and found a shame-faced Alpha pointing at his closet door.

“I missed you…Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Isaac replied, retrieving his dirty clothes from the closet, and adding them to the wash load. He returned and let Derek pin him to the bed and scent him heavily. They sat around and chatted for a few hours and then Stiles started to shift around, looking uncomfortable again.

“Coming back?” Derek asked.

“Yeah. No actual pain yet, just the weird fishbowl vision thing. Pain usually comes later.” He glanced at his phone. “Chris is coming by after work and we’ll go on a drive. He promised me a dose, Peter said he’d give me one too.”

“When’s Chris coming by?”

“Three and a half hours.” Stiles dropped his head to the back of the couch.

“Have you been having them more often?” Isaac asked.

“I was taking something preventative, but it was bothering my stomach, so I stopped it last week. If I get a few doses of essence-the higher the grade the better-I can actually do a little more screen time, but if I stop it becomes a problem again. I know it takes time, but it’s frustrating.”

“Have you thought about…taking the bite?” Isaac bit his lip. “I know it seems obvious we just haven’t talked about it before. And feel free to tell me to butt out.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome, and I _have_ thought about it, but I couldn’t work with Were rescues again, and this has been my whole life. I’d also be trapped by mountain ash like you guys are and…I don’t know, I guess the bad outweighs the good at this point.”

“What does neuro say?”

“That I can’t work with Weres for two years until they’re sure I’ve recovered from my neuro deficits.”

“Like what?”

“I’m still a little more volatile,” the human said, looking ashamed. “The headaches, and sometimes I have to think hard to remember chronology. Sounds weird, I know, but being able to control my anger around the barn was the reason I did it for so long. Same with Lydia and Scott. It’s like with Erica, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t have a seizure and leave herself or someone else vulnerable, so she was going to lose her license. I have the same issue. I can’t guarantee I won’t have a migraine and completely lose my temper or forget to lock a door.”

“I’m sorry Stiles.”

“And the obvious cure,” he snapped his teeth at Isaac, “means I can’t use mountain ash or any of the usual restraints. Scott’s already had to re-think his career and make some changes.” He huffed out a sigh and Derek ruffled his hair. “Help a brother out, big guy?” He let his lower lip tremble as he looked up at the Alpha.

“Yeah.”

“How often are you blowing Derek?” Isaac asked.

“I wouldn’t make him do that,” Derek replied. “The knot block issue was different. Anyway, I just let him do it at the end.”

“Want to get some pay-per-view?” Isaac grinned. He had missed out on his first few years of being allowed to legally buy porn. Not that he’d deprived himself before, but it might have been nice.

“Yeah!” Stiles said, enthusiastically. “My treat, you can pick, Derek.” The Alpha’s ears turned red and although he agreed to watch it with his roommates, he refused to choose anything that wasn’t completely boring and vanilla. Isaac took over the remote, and without mentioning anyone’s club memberships, past or present, he selected bondage bisexual threesomes. It was more expensive than the other movies because it was a compilation. Derek seemed more uncomfortable as his arousal spiked so Stiles volunteered to a ‘brotherly rub’ and started jerking too.

Isaac had been ordered not to engage in sexual activity of any kind with anyone else for several weeks, but he figured this wasn’t what Peter meant by it. Derek turned to him as he opened his jeans, as if reading his mind.

“Is Peter okay with you doing this?”

“As long as none of you touch my dick, and vice versa, I think we’re good. Besides, this is way too scientific to be hot.”

“Fair enough.” Stiles had his jeans open but neither touched his dick. The people on screen weren’t particularly appealing, so they waited for the next one. Eventually they decided they were more into boy love that day, and found a young man tied to a cross getting his ass fingered.

_“Take it you Omega slut!”_ The woman on the screen snarled. _“I’ll teach you to fuck my husband!”_

“Switch!” Isaac and Stiles said together, and Derek took the remote then.

“Forget it, I’ll pay. I like straight or gay, I’m not into this style.”

“You should’ve said something.”

“You got excited because it was a compilation.”

Eventually Isaac’s position in the middle got awkward when Derek’s breathing got heavy and Stiles lunged over the other Omega’s lap to get as Derek’s cock. He kept his mouth shut when Stiles swallowed the Alpha and let the wolf grab his head and guide it up and down until he came, and only after Derek was tucked away did he ask Stiles to move his uncovered rection from his lap.

“Sorry.” Stiles scooted back and looked back at the screen, accepting the tissues that Derek handed him in as he jerked himself to completion. “Was that too much for you?” he asked after washing his hands.

“No. I felt no urge to join in.”

“Did you before?”

“Not really. How’s your head?”

“It’s not a fast-acting cure, it usually takes an hour or so and then I’ll usually get a few hours of relief. If I get four doses in a day, I might not have one for the rest of the week.”

“Heck of a price to pay.”

“Oddly, I get grossed out by the idea of drinking it from a bottle, but not straight from the tap.”

Peter wasn’t upset about the porn or Derek dosing Stiles. He told Isaac that he wasn’t trying to make him feel ashamed about sex, he just wanted to avoid complicating his recovery by having it with other people for a few weeks. Isaac understood and continued visiting his apartment regularly.

Derek didn’t steal any more of Isaac’s clothes while he was gone, and as part of his therapy, Marin Morell insisted that he choose a heat partner he trusted and decide what boundaries he’d want. There was only one name on his list, but he was still nervous about asking the Alpha.

“Of course,” Derek said, “Tell me what you’ll want me to do when the time comes.”

Isaac had a plan and as summer wound down into fall, and he was released from the restrictions Peter put on him, he went to Derek to talk about them.

“I don’t want to wait for my heat to start having sex again,” he said. He was on a leave of absence from the club, and he hadn’t had sex since he’d been with Chris in the hotel room. “Peter said I’m not restricted anymore, but I haven’t really been feeling it.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Surprised, I guess. Maybe it’s a shame thing, but I have no idea what I’ll really like and what might repulse me. I kind of want to try some things out.”

“Okay.”

“With you, if you want to.”

“Okay.”

~


End file.
